An artful, horizon-expanding introduction to our “living home."
A shaped survey of Earth’s lands, seas, seasons, weather, and biomes.
The book is printed on sturdy stock and cut in a half-circle perched on a base so that it opens into snow globe–shaped leaves and can then be displayed in the round. The flyover offers young armchair travelers a series of eye-catching vistas ranging from “forests tall. // And grasslands wide” to “Continents large, islands small, / Salty seas surrounding all.” Interspersed descriptive notes in much smaller type and plainly addressed to an older audience go into general detail about each stop along the way. Feng’s soft focus natural scenes offer plenty of animals but no humans to see aside from an opening glimpse of a pair of snorkelers angled away from viewers and a few minute figures later on. All of the scenes (a line about how some grassland creatures eat grass and some “eat other grassland creatures!” notwithstanding) have a serene, peaceable-kingdom vibe. The point of view broadens at last to a map showing labeled continents and larger bodies of water, then a more distant view of our planet in space precedes a final cozy house beneath a starry sky, which serves as a reminder that our planet is: “a living home for everyone.
An artful, horizon-expanding introduction to our “living home." (Informational novelty board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-83866-081-9
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Phaidon
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
More information than toddlers will sit still for; not enough for preschoolers who are outgrowing board books.
An introduction to the body for the youngest readers.
It’s an endlessly fascinating topic, but here it is explained in wordy and needlessly exclamatory detail. On the opening spread three children play: One flies a kite, another plays hopscotch, and a third hangs upside down from a branch while the text explains that “your body can do so many things!” Basic facts about each body part are explained on subsequent spreads—more or less. A spread devoted to the belly button gives no hint to its original purpose. A busy park scene with all the characters and summary text that emphasizes the importance of “Lots of sleep, good food, and plenty of exercise” ends this compendium. McDonald’s attempts to be inclusive don’t quite succeed. A brown-skinned boy playing wheelchair basketball is used to explain arm joints, and there are several other children of color in the book. But on the page about hearing, the brown-skinned tot’s prominent ears and his placement in a tree make him look more like a monkey than a child—an unfortunate association. Many spreads include a question that relates to the topic but could also prove distracting. An additional fact on each spread set in a smaller font is clearly for older children or grown-ups, not toddlers.
More information than toddlers will sit still for; not enough for preschoolers who are outgrowing board books. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Feb. 13, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5247-6636-8
Page Count: 27
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: May 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
The lesson that a lot goes into producing the food we eat is a valuable one, and the trucks make it go down easy.
Young heavy-equipment fanciers can feast on this agriculturally oriented entry in the Finn’s Fun Trucks series.
Farmer Sandy introduces children to some of the heavy gear used to grow and harvest the produce that they eat. Following the same format as the other books in the series, Sandy observes that each machine has its own specific purpose and then challenges readers to guess its function. Featured equipment includes a tractor, plow, spreader, harvester, and baler. Each machine is named on verso and pictured opposite, with three key components labelled; readers are asked to guess what each one does. The page with the diagram then folds out to show the equipment at work, with an explanation of its use. The simple, utilitarian artwork is easily interpreted, and the book introduces some useful industrial and agrarian vocabulary. The fold-out flaps will engage readers eager to see the machinery in action. “A plow attaches to the back of the tractor. It turns the soil over so crops will grow tall and healthy,” for example. After presenting his farm fleet, Sandy, a white man with a gray beard, asks, “Can you guess what they can do when they all work together?” Answer: “They can grow all kinds of great food.” The simultaneously publishing Rapid Responders gives emergency vehicles the same treatment.
The lesson that a lot goes into producing the food we eat is a valuable one, and the trucks make it go down easy. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Aug. 28, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4867-1488-9
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Flowerpot Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2019
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