From feathers to a fluffy bunny, a tally of all things soft for little ones.
“Soft is a feather, soft is a cloud, / soft is a whisper, soft is not loud”: So goes the rhyming text, which is accompanied by a mix of spot art and full- and double-page spreads in what looks to be a mix of velvety watercolor and pencil. A diverse cast of wide-eyed children, adult caregivers, and animals acts out the scenes. Most of the illustrations are endearing, particularly one of a brown-eyed, brown-skinned tot bottle-feeding a baby lamb and another of a black father and child enjoying a goodnight kiss on the last spread. However, a couple of scenes don’t scan well due to puzzling visuals (a white kid with long hair reclining to gaze up at the “soft” clouds in the grass with just the top of their head visible) or content (why would one hug a rose?). Nevertheless, the abundance of examples will give caregivers and children plenty of ideas for spotting softness in the world around them.
Despite the hard board pages, this project mostly delivers as advertised. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: April 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-936669-63-9
Page Count: 14
Publisher: blue manatee press
Review Posted Online: March 18, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
Categories: CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS
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Storytime gets a kick in the pants with this jaunty combo of shapes and vehicles.
In this look at basic geometry via high-resolution photographs of construction trucks, the youngest of readers are introduced to nine different shapes. Using a seek-and-find format, the book encourages them to locate each shape as it appears on a vehicle, clearly delineated with thick, colorful lines. A clear, red triangle decorates the bed of a dump truck; a blue oval surrounds the barrel of a concrete mixer. The rhyming text names the featured equipment, each shot with crystal clarity outdoors on a variety of beautiful days. From the jaunty little red forklift sporting a rectangle on its side to the rhombus of a road sign snapped at an angle, small fingers will have no difficulty tracing each of the featured shapes again and again. Similar in its cadences to Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Eric Carle (1967), this book is ideal for construction storytimes everywhere. “Road roller / Road roller / Coming through! / I spy a circle— / How about you?” Be sure to sing it to the tune of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” if you really want to bring down the house. Activities to further engage young children are included at the end of the book.
Clear, crisp, clean, and concise—trucks and shapes have never before looked (or sounded) this good. (Picture book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-77278-134-2
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Pajama Press
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
Categories: CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION
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Insects and animals help readers count from one through 10.
In this number-focused board book, each themed double-page spread invites readers to practice counting. A cartoon puppy looks down at a scattering of bones, for example, and declares, “I can count NINE bones,” on the left-hand side of one such layout; over the gutter, there is a stock photograph of nine tennis balls and a large 9 along with text inviting readers to count. Each turn of the page follows this pattern, progressing by one number higher. The format is familiar and formulaic, conventional and utilitarian. That said, it serves its purpose of presenting new learners with a clear and recognizable tool for number recognition and counting practice. The cartoons have the impersonal look of clip art, and the photographs presented against a stark white background are simple and repetitive. The number five page, for example, shows five identical turtles as opposed to five different turtles or one turtle in five different positions or environments, a missed opportunity for visual interest. In contrast, companion title My First Colors introduces a color and then shows photographs of different items in that color, displaying more illustrative depth but following the same predictable format. While neither of these books does anything groundbreaking, they do a competent job of presenting these timeless concepts for pre-readers.
You can count on this one to be a bland yet passable learning tool. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 25, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4413-3308-7
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Peter Pauper Press
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2020
Categories: CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS
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