A shopping excursion with Dad turns into a fun-filled, edifying romp for French’s irrepressible Anna (Not Again, Anna!, 1998). Counting opportunities abound as Anna and her increasingly frazzled parent procure gifts for their loved ones, from five oranges down to one large ice-cream cone (for guess who). With glee, Anna offers her assistance—and seasoned Anna fans will know this means a rollicking adventure is in store for everyone. French’s text is appropriately brief, with short sentences focusing on favored treats and familiar family members. Ayliffe’s vibrantly hued illustrations perfectly capture Anna’s exuberant joie de vivre. Each two-page spread highlights an item on the shopping list. A half-page gatefold unveils Anna’s antics and the ensuing chaos, e.g., a florist’s shop is portrayed in full splendor as Dad and Anna select the perfect blossoms for Mom. However, when readers lift the flap, they discover Anna sprawled upon the floor in a puddle of water and greenery from the toppled pail. For each new number, there is a new mishap. Preschoolers will enjoy the predictability of the tale, joining in with the text as each misadventure is heralded by the phrase, “Oops, Anna!” A four-page, accordion-style gatefold opens up to reveal Anna safely back at home sharing her thoughtful presents with her family. The final two-page spread, a tally sheet of the items purchased features the numerals one through five, accompanied by illustrations depicting the correct amount of items. With Anna merrily leading the way, young readers will have a grand time exploring the concept of quantities. (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2000
ISBN: 1-86233-074-3
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2000
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it.
A succession of animal dads do their best to teach their young to say “Dada” in this picture-book vehicle for Fallon.
A grumpy bull says, “DADA!”; his calf moos back. A sad-looking ram insists, “DADA!”; his lamb baas back. A duck, a bee, a dog, a rabbit, a cat, a mouse, a donkey, a pig, a frog, a rooster, and a horse all fail similarly, spread by spread. A final two-spread sequence finds all of the animals arrayed across the pages, dads on the verso and children on the recto. All the text prior to this point has been either iterations of “Dada” or animal sounds in dialogue bubbles; here, narrative text states, “Now everybody get in line, let’s say it together one more time….” Upon the turn of the page, the animal dads gaze round-eyed as their young across the gutter all cry, “DADA!” (except the duckling, who says, “quack”). Ordóñez's illustrations have a bland, digital look, compositions hardly varying with the characters, although the pastel-colored backgrounds change. The punch line fails from a design standpoint, as the sudden, single-bubble chorus of “DADA” appears to be emanating from background features rather than the baby animals’ mouths (only some of which, on close inspection, appear to be open). It also fails to be funny.
Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 9, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-250-00934-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
Ideal for any community where children count.
A difficult concept is simply and strikingly illustrated for the very youngest members of any community, with a counting exercise to boot.
From the opening invitation, “Living in community, / it's a lot of FUN! / Lets count the ways. / Lets start with ONE,” Nagaro shows an urban community that is multicultural, supportive, and happy—exactly like the neighborhoods that many families choose to live and raise their children in. Text on every other page rhymes unobtrusively. Unlike the vocabulary found in A Is for Activist (2013), this book’s is entirely age-appropriate (though some parents might not agree that picketing is a way to show “that we care”). In A Is for Activist, a cat was hidden on each page; this time, finding the duck is the game. Counting is almost peripheral to the message. On the page with “Seven bikes and scooters and helmets to share,” identifying toys in an artistic heap is confusing. There is only one helmet for five toys, unless you count the second helmet worn by the girl riding a scooter—but then there are eight items, not seven. Seven helmets and seven toys would have been clearer. That quibble aside, Nagara's graphic design skills are evident, with deep colors, interesting angles, and strong lines, in a mix of digital collage and ink.
Ideal for any community where children count. (Board book. 2-5)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-60980-632-3
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Triangle Square Books for Young Readers
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
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