Though this cute-but-mighty tug’s strengths are oddly undercut by the syrupy gear-switch at the end, the bright, attractive...
Graphically spiffy and textually brief, this exploration of an anthropomorphic harbor tugboat’s working role tacks on a maudlin shtick in the final quarter.
Savage’s crisp pictures clearly compare Little Tug’s height, speed and length to those of a tall ship, a speedboat and an ocean liner. Despite these obvious shortcomings, Tug helps all three maneuver safely when needed. Young children will likewise navigate through the broadly stylized images of city skyline, water reflections and ships, some of which sport eyes and mouths. An odd divergence, however, appears with the line “What happens when Little Tug tires out?” The story shifts from fact-based narrative to coy bedtime riff, ending with Little Tug being tucked in with a sail from the tall ship, soothed with the speedboat motor’s lullaby and receiving, from the big ocean liner, “a great big— / hug.”
Though this cute-but-mighty tug’s strengths are oddly undercut by the syrupy gear-switch at the end, the bright, attractive pictures will appeal to boat-loving toddlers. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: Oct. 2, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-59643-648-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Neal Porter/Roaring Brook
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2012
Sweet but dull.
Six little animal babies spend the day at Noah’s Park.
A baby dog, bear, cat, panda, pig, and snail in colorful onesies and overalls are planning a day in Noah’s Park. As they all sit or stand in a group looking out at readers, the unrelated text above them says “Explore, swing, dance, and jump….” A gatefold flap—which is always a crowd-pleaser with toddlers—reveals they’ve decided to sail away. They put on their life jackets, pack a snack, and off they go. The sweet-looking, cartoony animals board a pink-and-blue–checkered boat, from which they see ducks and ducklings bobbing to and fro. They take a break, feed the ducks, have their own snack, and sail back home. There really is not much action in the book, as the animals just sit or stand around, in spite of the action indicated at the beginning. Even at the end when the text says, “Let’s clean up and sing a god-bye tune,” they are just standing in the boat looking out at the ducks. Hopefully, real toddlers will have more engaging days than the one depicted in this board book.
Sweet but dull. (Board book. 2-3)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-4263-3
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 18, 2016
Young readers will enjoy looking at the book and spinning the face, either independently or with their adult readers.
A transportation book for the youngest ones.
Transportation enthusiasts will enjoy this energetic and playful board book. In bright colors and simple geometric shapes, five vehicles take center stage. A circular die-cut holds a swiveling baby face. Readers can spin the face to a happy or sad expression. “Eee-ooo-eee-ooo!” goes the fire truck as it races down the street. “Uh-oh! There’s a crack in the sidewalk!” The cement mixer can fix that problem. “Woo-wee!” Time to load the recycling truck. “Phew, it’s hot!” Never mind, here’s the ice cream truck. “Clank-clank!” Engine won’t start? The tow truck is here! Babies and their adult readers will find lots of details to look at and discuss in addition to the primary vehicles presented, such as a little ambulance that appears on every spread. Also, babies can decide whether the situation calls for a happy or sad face and spin the face accordingly. A companion volume, Friends, follows a similar format. Here, babies are introduced to relatively abstract concepts such as making friends, sharing, cleaning up, and helping others. The spinning face helps to make these feelings concrete and understandable for children just beginning to grasp these concepts. The text in both books is not scintillating, but it does the job.
Young readers will enjoy looking at the book and spinning the face, either independently or with their adult readers. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-4187-9
Page Count: 10
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
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