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WHOSE NOSE?

Name: WHOSE NOSE?
Author: Sue Tarsky
ISBN: 978-0-8075-9046-1

From the Whose Are These? series

by Sue Tarsky ; illustrated by Michael Garton ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2019

A fun and interactively informative introduction to the animal kingdom.

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Partial views of several animals highlighting noses ask readers to guess the name of each based on a singular descriptive word.

Opposite concepts are presented for each pair of noses, as in the opening pages: “big nose / tiny nose.” The rather substantial nose of a proboscis monkey is on the left page, and the wee snout of a mouse is on the right. The full animal is never revealed in the black-outlined full-bleed paintings, requiring a guess of the animal’s name. So for the proboscis monkey, a portion of its face and body are shown, while for the mouse, just its whiskered nose peeks out from behind a rounded mouse hole. Readers must refer to the endpaper key to confirm the correct answers. The concept continues throughout, pairing shapes, sizes, and other nose-related features. The simplicity of each two-word phrase with its hidden picture provides opportunities for discussion. The familiar animals will be easily identified, while the lesser known, such as the “narrow nose” of a shrew or the “red nose” of a mandrill, will need some contemplation. Similarly, Whose Tail employs the same strategy; tails are drawn from a fairly easy mixture of farm and zoo animals except, perhaps, for the meerkat. Both end with human portrayals, Nose showing a man’s mustachioed nose and a child’s freckled one (both are white) while Tail depicts children of color, one with no tail and the other wearing a fox costume with a big bushy tail.

A fun and interactively informative introduction to the animal kingdom. (Informational picture book. 2-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019

ISBN: 978-0-8075-9046-1

Page Count: 24

Publisher: Whitman

Review Posted Online: June 29, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS

- BOOK REVIEW
FALL IN THE COUNTRY
by Sue Tarsky ; illustrated by Claire Lordon

- BOOK REVIEW
BROWN BEAR STARTS SCHOOL
by Sue Tarsky ; illustrated by Marina Aizen

- BOOK REVIEW
WHOSE EARS?
by Sue Tarsky ; illustrated by Sue Tarsky

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SHARKS

From the Science for Toddlers series

by American Museum of Natural History ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 6, 2017

There are better fish in the board-book sea.

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Dramatic stock photos and die-cut tabs are the distinguishing features of this board book.

“Did you know that there are over 400 types of sharks?” is an intriguing opening, but readers primed to find out about those specific types may be surprised that the shark on the facing page is not identified. Instead, the picture of a shark above a school of fish gives a sense of its size. Smaller text explains that shark skeletons are made of cartilage, not bone. Layered die cuts that accentuate the nose and mouth of nine different sharks on the right-hand pages invite children to turn the pages quickly. White type printed against various contrasting colors on the left-hand pages offers tidbits of information but is unlikely to make young children pause long enough to be read the text. A picture of almost 40 sharks swimming together seems to contradict the accompanying explanation that many sharks are endangered. A final full-color spread speaks of sharks’ important role in maintaining ocean balance and includes a picture of a grandfatherly shark scientist. The back cover is devoted to information for adults. While intriguing and scientifically credible, the wordy text and seemingly arbitrary factoids are well beyond the attention spans of all but the most avid young fans of the species.

There are better fish in the board-book sea. (Board book. 3-4)

Pub Date: June 6, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-4549-2128-8

Page Count: 26

Publisher: Sterling

Review Posted Online: May 9, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

- BOOK REVIEW
BABY ELEPHANT JOINS THE HERD
by American Museum of Natural History

- BOOK REVIEW
TADPOLE TO FROG
by American Museum of Natural History

- BOOK REVIEW
WOLF PUPS JOIN THE PACK
by American Museum of Natural History

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LET'S PLAY FOOTBALL

From the Let's Play series

by Nancy Hall ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 29, 2017

A passable introduction for little linebackers and half-pint halfbacks, but it will probably please football-enthusiast...

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Football basics for the littlest fans.

Each football-shaped page presents American football–related photos and one to two sentences of descriptive text. Many of the images are heavily labeled and captioned with football terminology, such as “end zone,” “helmet,” “cleats,” and “penalty flag.” One of the few double-page spreads presents a bird’s-eye view of the football field and labels such elements as “pylons,” “50-yard line,” and “1-yard hash marks.” It’s anyone’s guess what toddlers will make of the play diagram crowded with X’s, O’s, and arrows. In the photos, almost all the players, who have skin tones that range from white to black, look to be male. Just enough of the basic moves and plays of football are presented for youngsters, such as passing, catching, and kicking. As the book is football-shaped with faux leather cover and imitation laces, little ones may try to throw or kick the book itself. The project ends by encouraging would-be players to have fun and go play.

A passable introduction for little linebackers and half-pint halfbacks, but it will probably please football-enthusiast caregivers more than it will their children. (Board book. 2-3)