bookshelf

SMALL BUNNY'S BLUE BLANKET

Name: SMALL BUNNY'S BLUE BLANKET
Author: Tatyana Feeney
ISBN: 978-0-375-87087-3

by Tatyana Feeney & illustrated by Tatyana Feeney ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 12, 2012

Unfettered, fresh illustrations communicate a child’s bottomless love for a treasured possession.

bookshelf

Remember clutching that beloved childhood object to your chest? Closing your eyes to breathe in a smell as familiar as your own skin, readying yourself for the steepest slide or the darkest night?

Small Bunny finds just this kind of comfort in his blue blanket, soft with wear and dirt, but he worries some of its threadbare magic will wash away when mother does laundry. Appealingly elemental line drawings aptly describe a straightforward story about a child’s simple love of a singularly special possession. Hints of pink highlight Small Bunny’s ears and cotton tail, sweetening and softening the nearly colorless pictures of the boxy-bodied rabbit with dot eyes. Faint blue watercolors accent specifics in his surroundings (an apron, a swing seat, water in the tub) and orient readers to the tiniest corners of his world. Small Bunny’s blanket, appropriately, anchors every page. Trailing behind him on the swing or tucked under his bottom in front of the easel, it’s the only swath of color, assuming new shapes and undulating with watery blues and rippling collage work. Feeney’s winsome illustrations benefit from ample white space, which somehow endows each scene with earnest, emotional weight. Her words, succinct and spot-on, appear in well-spaced lettering (irregularly colored blue by hand) and float on the wide white backdrop.

Unfettered, fresh illustrations communicate a child’s bottomless love for a treasured possession. (Picture book. 2-5)

Pub Date: June 12, 2012

ISBN: 978-0-375-87087-3

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Knopf

Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
HOPE IS THE THING WITH FEATHERS
by Emily Dickinson ; illustrated by Tatyana Feeney

- BOOK REVIEW
SMALL ELEPHANT'S BATHTIME
by Tatyana Feeney ; illustrated by Tatyana Feeney

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE FROG'S TADPOLE TROUBLE
by Tatyana Feeney ; illustrated by Tatyana Feeney

bookshelf

THE ITSY BITSY PILGRIM

From the Itsy Bitsy series

by Jeffrey Burton ; illustrated by Sanja Rešček ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 6, 2016

This holiday ditty misses too many beats.

bookshelf

The traditional story of the first Thanksgiving is set to the tune of “The Itsy-Bitsy Spider” and stars rodents instead of humans.

The titular itsy-bitsy Pilgrim, a mouse dressed in iconic Puritan garb, sails to “a home that’s new” with three other mice on the Mayflower. They build a house, shovel snow, and greet some “itsy bitsy new friends,” who are chipmunks dressed as Native Americans complete with feathered headbands, beaded necklaces, and leather clothing. While Rescek’s art is droll and lively, it is wildly idealized, and the Native Americans’ clothing does not reflect what is understood of Wampanoag attire. The companion title, The Itsy Bitsy Reindeer, presents equally buoyant scenes. The reindeer and several elves, who appear to be white children with pointed ears, help Santa (also white) prepare for his annual sleigh-ride delivery. In both books, would-be singers may struggle to fit all the words and syllables into the meter, and a couple of rhymes are extremely forced (“shop” and “job”?).

This holiday ditty misses too many beats. (Board book. 2-3)

Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-4814-6852-7

Page Count: 16

Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS | CHILDREN'S POETRY

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE DREIDELS
by Jeffrey Burton ; illustrated by Juliana Motzko

- BOOK REVIEW
THE WHEELS ON THE DUMP TRUCK
by Jeffrey Burton ; illustrated by Alison Brown

- BOOK REVIEW
THE ITSY BITSY ANGEL
by Jeffrey Burton ; illustrated by Sanja Rešček

bookshelf

HIPPOS REMAIN CALM

by Sandra Boynton ; illustrated by Sandra Boynton ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 12, 2023

These hippos (like Boynton) continue to charm.

bookshelf

When the unpredictable occurs, two hippos (mostly) do their best to keep their cool.

Boynton’s beloved hippos grace pages once more; this time their story is a play on the author’s debut, Hippos Go Berserk (1977). A cozy day at home turns out quite unexpectedly for the titular hippos. As they wander outside “in the cool April weather,” it suddenly begins to snow. A loud group of ducks interrupts their quiet, and an evening with a friend eventually becomes an opportunity for a partying group of hippos to go…well, berserk. Through it all, the hippos greet each surprise with a positive attitude, turning something like spring snow into a sensory delight. Boynton’s fans will surely approve of this hippo revival. The illustrations are easily recognizable, and eagle-eyed readers will note that the scene with the party animals is a near-identical replica of that in the original. Readers will chuckle at the hippos’ version of poetry and a ringing telephone that demands to be answered. The rhyming text hits a familiar rhythm and read-aloud cadence. From deep breathing to displaying flexibility, the hippos demonstrate useful self-soothing techniques to little readers. Perhaps the most profound technique is that sometimes, remaining calm in a situation means joining in and letting loose with the not-so-calm crew.

These hippos (like Boynton) continue to charm. (Picture book. 2-4)