A joyful and sweet introduction to the holiday.
A simple introduction for very young children to some of the ways Hanukkah is celebrated.
A girl, a boy, their mother and father, and their playful dog prepare for Hanukkah in this sweetly illustrated board book. In rhyming text readers follow the family as they make preparations for the eight-day celebration. The candles are set in the menorah; the latkes go “Hiss, sizzle, pop” in the kitchen, while the children look in excitement at the wrapped gifts that will later be traded. The songs have been practiced and learned, and so has the dreidel game. Chocolate-covered faces mean the eagerly anticipated Hanukkah gelt has already been sampled. With paper hats, swords, and shields, the children (and their dog) march like Maccabees. At the end of each page the text is brought to a close with the titular phrase, “Hanukkah is coming,” the repetition contributing to the mounting excitement. Finally, the sun sets, the menorah has been lit, and as the family contemplates the stars through the window of their home, the book ends with a satisfying “Hurray! Hanukkah is here!” Garofoli’s richly colored cartoon illustrations contribute to the playfulness of the story.
A joyful and sweet introduction to the holiday. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4677-5241-1
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Kar-Ben
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2015
Leave the hopping to Peter Cottontail and sing the original song instead.
An Easter-themed board-book parody of the traditional nursery rhyme.
Unfortunately, this effort is just as sugary and uninspired as The Itsy Bitsy Snowman, offered by the same pair in 2015. A cheerful white bunny hops through a pastel world to distribute candy and treats for Easter but spills his baskets. A hedgehog, fox, mouse, and various birds come to the bunny’s rescue, retrieving the candy, helping to devise a distribution plan, and hiding the eggs. Then magically, they all fly off in a hot air balloon as the little animals in the village emerge to find the treats. Without any apparent purpose, the type changes color to highlight some words. For very young children every word is new, so highlighting “tiny tail” or “friends” makes no sense. Although the text is meant to be sung, the words don't quite fit the rhythm of the original song. Moreover, there are not clear motions to accompany the text; without the fingerplay movements, this book has none of the satisfying verve of the traditional version.
Leave the hopping to Peter Cottontail and sing the original song instead. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-5621-0
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
For toddlers unafraid of typical Halloween imagery.
A troop of cats traverse a spooky landscape as they make their way to a party hosted by ghosts.
Each double-page spread shows the felines’ encounters with the likes of an owl, jack-o’-lanterns or a bat. One or two of these creepy meetings may be too abstract for the youngest readers, as the cats hear eerie noises with no discernible source on the page. The text, which consists of one rhyming couplet per scene, mostly scans despite a couple of wobbles: “Five black cats get a bit of a scare / As the flip-flapping wings of a bat fill the air.” The sleek, slightly retro art, likely created using a computer, depicts the cats cavorting at night through a shadowy cityscape, the countryside and a haunted house; they may scare some toddlers and delight others. A brighter color palette would have given the project a friendlier, more universal appeal. Luckily, the well-lit, final party scene provides a playful conclusion.
For toddlers unafraid of typical Halloween imagery. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-58925-611-8
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: Sept. 24, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2014
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