Eye-popping adventure served up with lessons in opposites and conflict resolution.
This colorful, sturdy board book delivers a simple yet surprisingly satisfying narrative via minimal but powerful text and dynamic comic-book graphics. Riffing on the eternal, archetypal struggle of good versus evil, author Fuller presents a series of paired opposite words or phrases in a sequence that suggests an uncomplicated but exciting storyline, complete with surprise denouement. The titular hero is a powerful, confident girl of color garbed in the obligatory heroic mask and cape; her opponent is a wild crocodilian creature with long jaws, big teeth, a large, popping eyeball, and a diabolical-looking top hat. The narrative is advanced in two-page set pieces, usually with opposing ideas on facing pages: “hero / villain // smile / frown // up in the air / down in the lair,” and so on. Artist Meyer’s wildly bright colors and strong, playful images lend thrills and narrative continuity to the storyline. In panels in which the villain is looking most villainous, his nemesis is usually rendered slightly larger and more at ease and in control, which keeps things exciting but never frightening. When the hero’s constructive labors are wrecked (“build / destroy”), each blames the other (“truth / lie”), but the conciliatory powers of a well-timed cupcake turn enemies into friends.
Positive, engaging, and, most of all, fun; an outstanding introduction to derring-do. (Board book. 18 mos-4)Pub Date: June 12, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4197-2825-9
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: May 14, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
Categories: CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS
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Animal parents declare their love for their offspring in alphabetical order.
Each page displays an enormous capital letter, one line of verse with the keyword capitalized, and a loving nonhuman parent gazing adoringly at their baby. “A is for Always. I always love you more. / B is for Butterfly kisses. It’s you that I adore.” While not named or labelled as such, the A is also for an alligator and its hatchling and B is for a butterfly and a butterfly child (not a caterpillar—biology is not the aim of this title) interacting in some way with the said letter. For E there are an elephant and a calf; U features a unicorn and foal; and X, keyed to the last letter of the animal’s name, corresponds to a fox and three pups. The final double-page spread shows all the featured creatures and their babies as the last line declares: “Baby, I love you from A to Z!” The verse is standard fare and appropriately sentimental. The art is cartoony-cute and populated by suitably loving critters on solid backgrounds. Hearts accent each scene, but the theme of the project is never in any doubt.
Perfect for Valentine’s Day, but the syrupy sweetness will cloy after the holiday. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-7282-2095-6
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Jan. 27, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
Categories: CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS
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Revel in the pleasures of summer days.
The text’s three rhyming quatrains extol the season’s joys, from “birds in leafy trees” and “happy bees” to “eating berry pie” and “twinkling fireflies.” Cottage-dwelling woodland mammals get the full digital cartoon treatment, with giant eyes, exuberantly bushy tails, and bright clothing, hats, and eyewear. Readers see them enjoying a range of outdoor activities, from picnicking and splashing around in a pond to running barefoot in the grass and lounging in a hammock. The adorable diminutive mammals are the stars of the book, but the lively insects and birds make their presences felt too. This simple but sweet addition to the ever expanding bookshelf of estival books for younger children is more about imagery than plot, but that’s OK. The rhymes scan well, and the anaphoric repetition lends itself to read-alouds. The consistently double-page, full-bleed spreads allow readers to sense the scope of summer’s bounty. The artwork’s palette tracks the day’s arc, with morning yellows and greens ceding to violets and blues as twilight falls. Longhi’s illustrations fairly sparkle with light and Lisa Frank–esque colors. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Bright, cheerful, and summery. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: May 10, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-66591-241-9
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2022
Categories: CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S HEALTH & DAILY LIVING
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