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PEEK AND SEEK

Name: PEEK AND SEEK
Author: Violet Peto
ISBN: 978-1-4654-6865-9

by Violet Peto ; illustrated by Charlotte Milner ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 11, 2018

Fun as a peekaboo, but the language and natural history alike are both shoddy.

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Large fold-out flaps open to transform a set of seemingly empty scenes into landscapes teeming with wildlife.

Collective titles offer hints for each of the five spreads. The sky over a row of suburban houses fills with “A flock of birds” (identified in a key at the end as starlings) when the flap is lifted, an apparently deserted patch of woodland is suddenly home to “A pack of wolves,” and four other social species are likewise revealed on other spreads. Along with the highlighted animals, Milner adds assorted other creatures and items to her painted scenes for viewers to spot—the cutaway view of a rabbit warren is a positive archaeological treasure house of bones, broken pots, and ancient coins—and Peto strews factual snippets throughout, which are capped by a “factfile” at the close. As an early foray into the natural world, though, this has some issues. Not only are some of the fauna, such as a bear, a moose, deer, and a bald eagle in the wolf scene, left unidentified, but the collective of leaf-cutter ants are drawn with anthropomorphic eyes and wrongly dubbed an “army” rather than the more generally accepted “colony.” Moreover, an alternative term for “flock” of starlings, “murmuration,” is misspelled.

Fun as a peekaboo, but the language and natural history alike are both shoddy. (Informational novelty. 2-5)

Pub Date: Sept. 11, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-4654-6865-9

Page Count: 18

Publisher: DK Publishing

Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2018

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

- BOOK REVIEW
COUNTING 1 2 3
by Violet Peto ; illustrated by Liza Lewis

- BOOK REVIEW
IS IT WARM ENOUGH FOR ICE CREAM?
by Violet Peto ; illustrated by Victoria Palastanga

- BOOK REVIEW
MY FIRST OUT AND ABOUT
by Violet Peto ; illustrated by Rachael Hare

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S HALLOWEEN

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 5, 2016

Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.

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A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.

Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.

Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)

Pub Date: July 5, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3

Page Count: 16

Publisher: HMH Books

Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016

Categories:

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

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK MAKES A FRIEND
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
TIME FOR SCHOOL, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S VALENTINE
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

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ANIMAL SHAPES

by Christopher Silas Neal ; illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 27, 2018

Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable.

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You think you know shapes? Animals? Blend them together, and you might see them both a little differently!

What a mischievous twist on a concept book! With wordplay and a few groan-inducing puns, Neal creates connections among animals and shapes that are both unexpected and so seemingly obvious that readers might wonder why they didn’t see them all along. Of course, a “lazy turtle” meeting an oval would create the side-splitting combo of a “SLOW-VAL.” A dramatic page turn transforms a deeply saturated, clean-lined green oval by superimposing a head and turtle shell atop, with watery blue ripples completing the illusion. Minimal backgrounds and sketchy, impressionistic detailing keep the focus right on the zany animals. Beginning with simple shapes, the geometric forms become more complicated as the book advances, taking readers from a “soaring bird” that meets a triangle to become a “FLY-ANGLE” to a “sleepy lion” nonagon “YAWN-AGON.” Its companion text, Animal Colors, delves into color theory, this time creating entirely hybrid animals, such as the “GREEN WHION” with maned head and whale’s tail made from a “blue whale and a yellow lion.” It’s a compelling way to visualize color mixing, and like Animal Shapes, it’s got verve. Who doesn’t want to shout out that a yellow kangaroo/green moose blend is a “CHARTREUSE KANGAMOOSE”?

Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable. (Board book. 2-4)