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: abramsappleseed
Review Posted Online: May 14, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
Categories: CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Little Blue Truck and his pal Toad meet friends old and new on a springtime drive through the country.
This lift-the-flap, interactive entry in the popular Little Blue Truck series lacks the narrative strength and valuable life lessons of the original Little Blue Truck (2008) and its sequel, Little Blue Truck Leads the Way (2009). Both of those books, published for preschoolers rather than toddlers, featured rich storylines, dramatic, kinetic illustrations, and simple but valuable life lessons—the folly of taking oneself too seriously, the importance of friends, and the virtue of taking turns, for example. At about half the length and with half as much text as the aforementioned titles, this volume is a much quicker read. Less a story than a vernal celebration, the book depicts a bucolic drive through farmland and encounters with various animals and their young along the way. Beautifully rendered two-page tableaux teem with butterflies, blossoms, and vibrant pastel, springtime colors. Little Blue greets a sheep standing in the door of a barn: “Yoo-hoo, Sheep! / Beep-beep! / What’s new?” Folding back the durable, card-stock flap reveals the barn’s interior and an adorable set of twin lambs. Encounters with a duck and nine ducklings, a cow with a calf, a pig with 10 (!) piglets, a family of bunnies, and a chicken with a freshly hatched chick provide ample opportunity for counting and vocabulary work.
Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-544-93809-0
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: March 4, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Farm animals make realistic noises as youngsters press embedded tactile features.
“Pat the cow’s back to hear her ‘Moo!’ ” Readers can press the fuzzy, black circle on a Holstein cow to hear its recorded noise. This formula is repeated on each double-page spread, one per farm critter (roosters, piglets, lambs and horses). Using stock photography, several smaller images of the animals appear on the left, and a full-page close-up dominates the right. The final two pages are a review of the five farmyard creatures and include a photo of each as well as a review of their sounds in succession via a touch of a button. While the layout is a little busy, the selection of photos and the tactile elements are nicely diverse. The text is simple enough for little ones, encourages interaction (“Can you baa like a lamb?”) and uses animal-specific vocabulary (fleece; mane). The sister title, Noisy Trucks (978-1-58925-609-5), follows much the same format, but, here, the stars are big rigs, monster trucks, fire trucks, backhoes and cement mixers. While the photos will thrill the vehicle-obsessed, the noises are less distinctive, save the fire truck’s siren. The facts about each type of vehicle provide just enough information: “A fire truck has a loud siren, ladders to climb, and hoses that spray water.” Despite the age recommendation of 3 years and up suggested on the back cover, the construction (with the battery secured by screw behind a plastic panel) looks sturdy and safe enough for younger readers.
A happily multisensory exploration. (Board book. 18 mos.-3)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-58925-610-1
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2014
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS
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