A slim little book of clever rhymes and visual puns with an unfinished production quality and abrupt divide between phrases...
How many ways can you ask someone what’s happening? Uncle Mo (The Valentine’s Day Train, 2014) comes up with several alternate, rhyming ways to broach the question in this silly picture book of puns.
“What’s the Laugh Giraffe?” both the text and the title ask a giggling giraffe. According to the illustration, the creature is rendered helpless by the hilarious joke of a hyena comedian. Next, a toddler drops his treat, and the text asks, “What’s the cry cutie pie?” Seven unique ways of asking about someone’s day feature various animals and objects (a pepper grinder causes a large wedge of cheese to sneeze; a tooth-brushing crocodile brandishes his pearly whites at a mirror). After the final question, in which a sheep is counting sheep in his dreams, several rhyming words are paired in black-and-white sketches. A rock climber illustrates the difference between “steep” and “deep.” Clothing is a “pile” on a “tile” floor. The divide in structure is abrupt, and readers may feel almost as though Uncle Mo ran out of ways to turn his rhymes into questions. The rhymes themselves are clever but not so odd that young readers will find them confusing. The number of words per page should make this a confidence-building book for beginning readers, although the inclusion of some tougher phonetic words (calf/half) may create a challenge. The production value is underwhelming. The line work appears sketchy rather than finalized, so though the illustrations are well-drawn, they look unfinished. Despite those flaws, preschools and kindergarten classrooms looking to expand rhyming word sections may find Uncle Mo’s selections useful for discussions. The seven greetings included in the book make a great starting exercise for children to design their own rhyming introductions following the same structure.
A slim little book of clever rhymes and visual puns with an unfinished production quality and abrupt divide between phrases and rhyming pairs.Pub Date: March 28, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-5087-8015-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: 1970
Review Posted Online: June 29, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A nice but not requisite purchase.
A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.
Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.
A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
More gift book than storybook, this is a meaningful addition to nursery bookshelves
A young child explores the unlimited potential inherent in all humans.
“Have you ever wondered why you are here?” asks the second-person narration. There is no one like you. Maybe you’re here to make a difference with your uniqueness; maybe you will speak for those who can’t or use your gifts to shine a light into the darkness. The no-frills, unrhymed narrative encourages readers to follow their hearts and tap into their limitless potential to be anything and do anything. The precisely inked and colored artwork plays with perspective from the first double-page spread, in which the child contemplates a mountain (or maybe an iceberg) in their hands. Later, they stand on a ladder to place white spots on tall, red mushrooms. The oversized flora and fauna seem to symbolize the presumptively insurmountable, reinforcing the book’s message that anything is possible. This quiet read, with its sophisticated central question, encourages children to reach for their untapped potential while reminding them it won’t be easy—they will make messes and mistakes—but the magic within can help overcome falls and failures. It’s unlikely that members of the intended audience have begun to wonder about their life’s purpose, but this life-affirming mood piece has honorable intentions. The child, accompanied by an adorable piglet and sporting overalls and a bird-beaked cap made of leaves, presents white.
More gift book than storybook, this is a meaningful addition to nursery bookshelves . (Picture book. 2-8)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-946873-75-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: May 21, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2019
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