by Tad Carpenter ; illustrated by Tad Carpenter ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 13, 2015
A pleasant introduction to the concept of careers.
Little ones explore the different jobs they may aspire to.
In this lift-the-flap book, little readers are asked "Who's that?" and then given a few clues to who could be under the flap. Upon lifting the flap, readers are presented with an image of an adult and that person’s profession. These jobs are quite varied, ranging from teachers to construction workers to doctors. The book's final double-page spread describes the importance of all the jobs and how they all come together to make a community work. The clues are basic enough that even very young readers will be able to make a solid guess. For example, "He is brave, wears a special suit, and drives a big red truck" can really only point to a “firefighter.” The flaps are large and sturdy and add to the illustrations when lifted. These illustrations have a cubist flair and off-primary color palette that set them apart from typical board books. Skin tones are not always realistic, but they are varied, and there is careful gender distribution among the professions.
A pleasant introduction to the concept of careers. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4549-1228-6
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: Sept. 20, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
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by Danica McKellar ; illustrated by Alicia Padrón ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 7, 2017
The joys of counting combine with pretty art and homage to Goodnight Moon.
This bedtime book offers simple rhymes, celebrates the numbers one through 10, and encourages the counting of objects.
Each double-page spread shows a different toddler-and-caregiver pair, with careful attention to different skin tones, hair types, genders, and eye shapes. The pastel palette and soft, rounded contours of people and things add to the sleepy litany of the poems, beginning with “Goodnight, one fork. / Goodnight, one spoon. / Goodnight, one bowl. / I’ll see you soon.” With each number comes a different part in a toddler’s evening routine, including dinner, putting away toys, bathtime, and a bedtime story. The white backgrounds of the pages help to emphasize the bold representations of the numbers in both written and numerical forms. Each spread gives multiple opportunities to practice counting to its particular number; for example, the page for “four” includes four bottles of shampoo and four inlaid dots on a stool—beyond the four objects mentioned in the accompanying rhyme. Each home’s décor, and the array and types of toys and accoutrements within, shows a decidedly upscale, Western milieu. This seems compatible with the patronizing author’s note to adults, which accuses “the media” of indoctrinating children with fear of math “in our country.” Regardless, this sweet treatment of numbers and counting may be good prophylaxis against math phobia.
The joys of counting combine with pretty art and homage to Goodnight Moon. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: March 7, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-101-93378-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2016
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by Danica McKellar ; illustrated by Josée Masse
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by Elizabeth Spurr ; illustrated by Manelle Oliphant ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2016
A gentle outing for children who are ready for stories of everyday life rather than just objects to name.
A brief rhyming board book for toddlers.
Spurr's earlier board books (In the Garden and At the Beach, both 2012; In the Woods, 2013) featured an adventuresome little boy. Her new slice-of-life story stars an equally joyful little girl who takes pleasure in flying a new kite while not venturing far off the walkway. Oliphant's expressive and light-filled watercolors clearly depict the child's emotions—eager excitement on the way to the park, delight at the kite's flight in the wind, shock when the kite breaks free, dejection, and finally relief and amazement. The rhymes work, though uneven syllable counts in some stanzas interrupt the smooth flow of the verse. The illustrations depict the child with her mass of windblown curls, brown skin, and pronounced facial features as African-American. Her guardian (presumably her mother) is also brown-skinned. It is refreshing to see an African-American family settled comfortably in a suburban setting with single-family homes and a park where the family dog does not need to be leashed.
A gentle outing for children who are ready for stories of everyday life rather than just objects to name. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: March 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-56145-854-7
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
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by Elizabeth Spurr ; illustrated by Manelle Oliphant
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by Elizabeth Spurr ; illustrated by Manelle Oliphant
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by Elizabeth Spurr ; illustrated by Manelle Oliphant
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