Apparently monolithically bent on promoting the value of family, the ensuing lackluster text and simplistic plot may...
Lonely little monarch seeks more interesting plot…
The Tiny King lives all alone in a gigantic castle, commands a large army, rides a huge horse (which he falls off every time he tries to ride), eats a tiny meal at a vast table, takes a modest bath in a monstrous bathtub (with a fountain), and lies sleepless and lonely in the corner of a massive bed. Rather abruptly, he meets and falls in love with a big princess and marries her, just like that. Somehow, they rapidly produce 10 children, oddly almost the same size as the king himself, who are identified only by number. The Tiny King achieves instant nirvana now that he has a large family with whom to share his castle, dinners, horse and carriage, bathtub and bed. Now his need for company is satisfied; he is happy and able to sleep soundly. Miura’s exquisite design and strong graphic illustrations, consisting of simple cut-out shapes in vibrant colors and collages using images drawn from eclectic sources, often on matte black paper to enhance the effect, will appeal to very young children. Unfortunately, the book’s plot does not match the bold and striking illustrations.
Apparently monolithically bent on promoting the value of family, the ensuing lackluster text and simplistic plot may disappoint readers hungry for a rich storyline. (Picture book. 2-6)Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6687-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Aug. 27, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2013
Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own...
The sturdy Little Blue Truck is back for his third adventure, this time delivering Christmas trees to his band of animal pals.
The truck is decked out for the season with a Christmas wreath that suggests a nose between headlights acting as eyeballs. Little Blue loads up with trees at Toad’s Trees, where five trees are marked with numbered tags. These five trees are counted and arithmetically manipulated in various ways throughout the rhyming story as they are dropped off one by one to Little Blue’s friends. The final tree is reserved for the truck’s own use at his garage home, where he is welcomed back by the tree salestoad in a neatly circular fashion. The last tree is already decorated, and Little Blue gets a surprise along with readers, as tiny lights embedded in the illustrations sparkle for a few seconds when the last page is turned. Though it’s a gimmick, it’s a pleasant surprise, and it fits with the retro atmosphere of the snowy country scenes. The short, rhyming text is accented with colored highlights, red for the animal sounds and bright green for the numerical words in the Christmas-tree countdown.
Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own tree that will put a twinkle in a toddler’s eyes. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-544-32041-3
Page Count: 24
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school...
The familiar theme of the challenges facing a new kid in town is given an original treatment by photographer Border in this book of photos of three-dimensional objects in a simple modeled landscape.
Peanut Butter is represented by a slice of white bread spread with the popular condiment. The other characters in the story—a hamburger with a pair of hot dogs in tow, a bowl of alphabet soup, a meatball jumping a rope of spaghetti, a carton of French fries and a pink cupcake—are represented by skillfully crafted models of these foods, anthropomorphized using simple wire construction. Rejected by each character in turn in his search for playmates, Peanut Butter discovers in the end that Jelly is his true match (not Cupcake, as the title suggests), perhaps because she is the only one who looks like him, being a slice of white bread spread with jelly. The friendly foods end up happily playing soccer together. Some parents may have trouble with the unabashedly happy depiction of carbs and American junk food (no carrots or celery sticks in this landscape), and others may find themselves troubled by the implication that friendship across difference is impossible.
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school experiences. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 29, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-399-16773-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
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