by Susie Jaramillo ; illustrated by Susie Jaramillo ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 20, 2017
Not quite as successful as the previous entries but still a charming addition to the series.
The traditional song sung for birthdays in Mexico is presented with an American twist at the end.
In this new addition to the Canticos series, Jaramillo has kept to her successful concertina format. The book can be read in Spanish on one side and in English on the other. When someone is celebrating their birthday in Mexico, they are traditionally greeted with “Las mañanitas.” According to the song, this was the way that King David greeted the morning, and because it is your birthday we will sing it to you. This bilingual presentation of the song remains faithful to the original in Spanish but has taken a few liberties with the English translation to accommodate for rhyme and meter, always a fine line to walk when translating a song. In both languages the song segues right into the American song traditionally sung at birthday times, the newly copyright-free “Happy Birthday.” Young children will find a few flaps to open—such as a window that, when lifted, reveals a rooster crowing at daybreak—that will add to their delight. In the “Happy Birthday” part there is a blank banner in which the name of the birthday child can be inscribed.
Not quite as successful as the previous entries but still a charming addition to the series. (Board book. 1-5)Pub Date: June 20, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-945635-07-6
Page Count: 10
Publisher: Encantos
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
Share your opinion of this book
More In The Series
by Susie Jaramillo ; illustrated by Susie Jaramillo
by Susie Jaramillo ; illustrated by Susie Jaramillo
by Susie Jaramillo ; illustrated by Susie Jaramillo
More by Susie Jaramillo
BOOK REVIEW
by Susie Jaramillo ; illustrated by Abigail Gross
BOOK REVIEW
by Susie Jaramillo ; illustrated by Susie Jaramillo
BOOK REVIEW
by Susie Jaramillo ; illustrated by Susie Jaramillo
by John Canty ; illustrated by John Canty ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 23, 2018
A clever conceit but a bland execution.
In this minimalist Australian import, readers are encouraged to guess animals based on select written and visual clues.
On each recto, readers see the hindquarters of an animal, and three simple clues ask them to guess what kind of animal they may belong to. “I have long furry ears and a small nose. / I live in a burrow in the ground. / I have a white fluffy tail. / I AM A….” The splashy watercolor rear legs and tail are ambiguous enough that they may have readers second-guessing the obvious answer. Turning the page, however, readers discover both the well-defined front half of the animal and the animal’s name: “RABBIT.” Canty uses stock 19th-century animal illustrations layered with watercolor enhancements, creating a somber yet surprising tone. Two tailless animals, a frog and human readers, are included in the roster, making the “tails” referenced in the title symbolic rather than literal. Two red herrings, the image of a mouse between the clues for and image of an elephant and (inexplicably) a squirrel leading to a giraffe, fall flat, with no other cues to young readers that they are jokes. The quirky illustrations, earthy colors, and lack of exhibited enthusiasm will make this book’s audience a niche one. There is no backmatter.
A clever conceit but a bland execution. (Informational picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Oct. 23, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0033-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: July 29, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
Share your opinion of this book
More by John Canty
BOOK REVIEW
by John Canty ; illustrated by John Canty
by Amirah Kassem ; illustrated by Elisa Chavarri ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 25, 2020
A feast…at least for the eyes, and much better for the teeth.
It’s all about the colors in this board-book version of the virally popular “rainbow explosion” cake.
The cake, which stars in many online videos and slide shows, is actually all about the sprinkles, evoked here with a combination of multihued spinners or sliders and hundreds of tiny holes punched into the sturdy cover and stock. Kassem, a New York City specialist baker, recaps its creation…without specific ingredients but step by step in the simplest language: “Pour it! / Mix it! // Color it!” The images are abstract enough that the result never really looks like food, but young digerati are unlikely to care as they’re directed to choose colors for each of the six layers, pull a tab to watch them rise in the oven, then see all but the top layer hollowed out before being stacked in rainbow order (sans indigo) and finally filled with a column of sprinkles that will pour out in a climactic rush (“Surprise!”) when the finished cake, its outside likewise sprinkle encrusted, is sliced. Chavarri’s simple illustrations flash with oversaturated hues, each succeeding double-page spread being somehow brighter than the last one, until the final uncomplicated pop-up unfolds in a grand shower of confetti and sprinkles. Budding chefs may find the recipe-based approach in Lotta Niemenen’s Cook in a Book series more to their taste, but for sheer energy and dazzle, this is hard to beat.
A feast…at least for the eyes, and much better for the teeth. (Board book. 3-5)Pub Date: Feb. 25, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4197-3746-6
Page Count: 10
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
Share your opinion of this book
More by Amirah Kassem
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.