Meow meow purr meow (translation: a charmer).
Won’t anyone play yarn ball?
A little black-and-white kitty asks an adult cat in a dress to play, but she’s too busy gardening. Similarly, another adult cat, this one in spectacles and an apron, is occupied in the kitchen and can’t play. A slightly larger kitten with a yellow bow over one ear is far too engrossed in a book to play. Little kitty is despondent and acts up, running all over the house with the yellow yarn trailing behind. It’s tangled in the chandelier, the table legs, the chair legs, the family’s legs! That makes everyone angry and earns the little puss a timeout. (The adults show their teeth a bit here.) The tot apologizes and, with some help from the older sibling, rolls all the yellow yarn back up. Then the wee one assists each family member with the task that was interrupted (even joining older sibling in the chair with the book)…and then everyone has time to play eight-pawed cat’s cradle before bath and bed. In the final image, the little kitten snuggles down with the yellow yarn ball and purrs. Ying’s expressive, anthropomorphic feline family is utterly endearing, and small humans will easily recognize themselves even though the tale is told entirely in pictures and meows (and one purr). The digitally created illustrations appear painted, and young kitten lovers will be able to tell themselves the story without worrying over words.
Meow meow purr meow (translation: a charmer). (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-06-244096-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
Parents of toddlers starting school or day care should seek separation-anxiety remedies elsewhere, and fans of the original...
A sweetened, condensed version of the best-selling picture book, The Kissing Hand.
As in the original, Chester Raccoon is nervous about attending Owl’s night school (raccoons are nocturnal). His mom kisses him on the paw and reminds him, “With a Kissing Hand… / We’ll never be apart.” The text boils the story down to its key elements, causing this version to feel rushed. Gone is the list of fun things Chester will get to do at school. Fans of the original may be disappointed that this board edition uses a different illustrator. Gibson’s work is equally sentimental, but her renderings are stiff and flat in comparison to the watercolors of Harper and Leak. Very young readers will probably not understand that Owl’s tree, filled with opossums, a squirrel, a chipmunk and others, is supposed to be a school.
Parents of toddlers starting school or day care should seek separation-anxiety remedies elsewhere, and fans of the original shouldn’t look to this version as replacement for their page-worn copies. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-933718-77-4
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Tanglewood Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an...
A little boy exults in his new role as big brother.
Rhyming text describes the arrival of a new baby and all of the big brother’s rewarding new duties. He gets to help with feedings, diaper changes, playtime, bathtime, and naptime. Though the rhyming couplets can sometimes feel a bit forced and awkward, the sentiment is sweet, as the focus here never veers from the excitement and love a little boy feels for his tiny new sibling. The charming, uncluttered illustrations convincingly depict the growing bond between this fair-skinned, rosy-cheeked, smiling pair of boys. In the final pages, the parents, heretofore kept mostly out of view, are pictured holding the children. The accompanying text reads: “Mommy, Daddy, baby, me. / We love each other—a family!” In companion volume I Am a Big Sister, the little boy is replaced with a little girl with bows in her hair. Some of the colors and patterns in the illustrations are slightly altered, but it is essentially the same title.
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an older sibling can do to help. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-68886-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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