This buddy romp is more of a fixed race.
Heated competition and the spirit of friendship run neck and neck in this undersea athletic event.
American football coach Vince Lombardi, to whom the (borrowed) sentiment that, “winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing” is most often attributed, might disapprove of the message of this book. Indeed, there are mixed messages aplenty to be found here. The story takes place on “Reef Day,” an undersea event full of fun, games, and, most importantly, the race around the reef. When Fang the shark exclaims, “I can’t wait to compete in the race around the reef,” best friend Nugget, a minnow, replies, “Count me in!” The pair and three more of the best swimmers around set off to see who’s fastest. When the clown fish quits and the two tuna are caught in a whirlpool, only Nugget and Fang remain. “They were fin and fin—but who would finish first?” This suspenseful buildup is a bit of a cheat, though. “Nugget and Fang knew just what to do. They crossed the finish line the way they did everything else—together!” That sweet message about friendship arguably denies kids some valuable lessons: Skills and abilities vary individually, and gracefully winning or losing is its own art form. On the plus side, the illustrations are colorful, the characters appealing, and sliding and turning elements add a hands-on aspect kids will love.
This buddy romp is more of a fixed race. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-358-04053-8
Page Count: 10
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2020
Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable.
You think you know shapes? Animals? Blend them together, and you might see them both a little differently!
What a mischievous twist on a concept book! With wordplay and a few groan-inducing puns, Neal creates connections among animals and shapes that are both unexpected and so seemingly obvious that readers might wonder why they didn’t see them all along. Of course, a “lazy turtle” meeting an oval would create the side-splitting combo of a “SLOW-VAL.” A dramatic page turn transforms a deeply saturated, clean-lined green oval by superimposing a head and turtle shell atop, with watery blue ripples completing the illusion. Minimal backgrounds and sketchy, impressionistic detailing keep the focus right on the zany animals. Beginning with simple shapes, the geometric forms become more complicated as the book advances, taking readers from a “soaring bird” that meets a triangle to become a “FLY-ANGLE” to a “sleepy lion” nonagon “YAWN-AGON.” Its companion text, Animal Colors, delves into color theory, this time creating entirely hybrid animals, such as the “GREEN WHION” with maned head and whale’s tail made from a “blue whale and a yellow lion.” It’s a compelling way to visualize color mixing, and like Animal Shapes, it’s got verve. Who doesn’t want to shout out that a yellow kangaroo/green moose blend is a “CHARTREUSE KANGAMOOSE”?
Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: March 27, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0534-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Parents of toddlers starting school or day care should seek separation-anxiety remedies elsewhere, and fans of the original...
A sweetened, condensed version of the best-selling picture book, The Kissing Hand.
As in the original, Chester Raccoon is nervous about attending Owl’s night school (raccoons are nocturnal). His mom kisses him on the paw and reminds him, “With a Kissing Hand… / We’ll never be apart.” The text boils the story down to its key elements, causing this version to feel rushed. Gone is the list of fun things Chester will get to do at school. Fans of the original may be disappointed that this board edition uses a different illustrator. Gibson’s work is equally sentimental, but her renderings are stiff and flat in comparison to the watercolors of Harper and Leak. Very young readers will probably not understand that Owl’s tree, filled with opossums, a squirrel, a chipmunk and others, is supposed to be a school.
Parents of toddlers starting school or day care should seek separation-anxiety remedies elsewhere, and fans of the original shouldn’t look to this version as replacement for their page-worn copies. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-933718-77-4
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Tanglewood Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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