by Tobias Krejtschi ; illustrated by Tobias Krejtschi ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2017
A bit of geometry and a bit of physiology add up to monstrous fun.
What do monsters of various shapes eat? Why, food of various shapes, of course!
Quirky red monsters with toothy mouths and made up of different shapes invite readers to figure out what they love to eat. Each left-hand page depicts a plate holding an assortment of food in different shapes set on a cheery checked tablecloth. Each right-hand page depicts a differently shaped monster. Children will soon figure out each monster has a preference for food of a matching shape. They can check their answers by lifting the flap on the monster’s tummy. The correct food items are shown inside the monsters’ stomachs with intestines going off into their nether parts. The usual suspects make an appearance: square, circle, triangle, and rectangle. But there is also a semicircle, a crescent, an oval, and even a heart-shaped monster. What differentiates this book from other shape books comes at the end. If children don’t know it already, they will soon find out that what goes in must also come out. “Yikes! Where is the Sausage Monster running in such a hurry?” As the Sausage Monster sits on the toilet, children can lift the flap on the side of the fixture to reveal—yes! Sausage-shaped poop.
A bit of geometry and a bit of physiology add up to monstrous fun. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: May 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-988-8341-40-5
Page Count: 22
Publisher: minedition
Review Posted Online: April 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
Share your opinion of this book
by Lo Cole ; illustrated by Lo Cole ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2020
Who knew that turning the pages could be the best part of a book?
The concept of this picture book is simple enough: 10 birds topple, slip, and dive their way off the titular twig until there is one left. The text itself echoes familiar singsong-y children’s rhymes like “Five Little Pumpkins.” While it mostly succeeds, there are some awkward spots: “5 on a twig, there used to be more… / SNAP! Don’t say a word, now there are four.” (On each page the number is both spelled out and represented as a numeral). The real scene stealer, however, is the book’s interplay between Cole’s illustrations and the physical pages themselves. In much the same way Eric Carle utilizes the pages in The Very Hungry Caterpillar to show the little critter eating its way through the week, Cole uses pages of increasing width to show how the twig grows shorter as each bird falls and marches off purposefully with the others, all headed toward verso with pieces of twig in their beaks. Stylistically, the book is captivating. The very colorful, egg-shaped birds appear on a single, thin black line on a stark white background. This backdrop stands in powerful contrast to the book’s final two pages, which are set against black negative space, a theme echoed in the book’s feather-print endpapers. The heavy, thick pages make it easy for little hands to participate. The text takes a back seat to the playful and compelling design, which is sure to delight readers.
Who knew that turning the pages could be the best part of a book? (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-72821-593-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
Share your opinion of this book
More by Lo Cole
BOOK REVIEW
by Lo Cole
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
by Christopher Franceschelli ; illustrated by Peskimo ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 5, 2014
An inventive and extensive counting experience that will delight youngsters.
Shaped pages help youngsters count to 10 and beyond.
Two stylish double-page spreads are devoted to each number one through 10 and then, counting by 10s, to 100. In the first spread, the right-hand side is a page-high, die-cut numeral that spills off the page; to its left, a squirrel holds an acorn. With the turn of the page, there’s a transformation. “One acorn becomes… / one oak tree!” A portion of the object, animal or person being altered is visible through the die-cut openings; a sand castle peeks through the “0” of the number 10, for instance. Once the page is turned, the background from the previous left-hand page merges with the full double-page spread. As in the earlier Alphablock (2013), the helpfulness of these visual hints is uneven. After 10, 20 caterpillars become 20 butterflies, 30 baskets of cucumbers become 30 jars of pickles, and 40 eggs become 39 chicks and one dinosaur. The whole shebang ends with 100 puzzle pieces fitting together into “one big puzzle!” in the book’s only double gatefold. Peskimo’s muted color palette and droll cartoon style works well with the playful concept. The same worries about the binding that arose with Alphablock are an issue here, but the conceit will likely appeal to older children anyway.
An inventive and extensive counting experience that will delight youngsters. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4197-1374-3
Page Count: 94
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: July 28, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2015
Share your opinion of this book
More In The Series
by Christopher Franceschelli ; illustrated by Peskimo
by Christopher Franceschelli ; illustrated by Peskimo
by Lucasfilm Ltd. ; illustrated by Peskimo
More by Christopher Franceschelli
BOOK REVIEW
by Christopher Franceschelli ; illustrated by Allison Black
BOOK REVIEW
by Christopher Franceschelli ; illustrated by Allison Black
BOOK REVIEW
by Christopher Franceschelli ; illustrated by Peskimo
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.