Eric Hill’s classic Spot books come off as rather staid (not that that’s necessarily a bad thing) next to this rambunctious,...
The feline trio that tumbled through There Are Cats in This Book (2008) and There Are No Cats in This Book (2010) welcomes a new friend—and you can, too!
“Oh, hello! You opened our book!” Resolutely ignoring the fourth wall once again, Schwarz’s three wide-eyed cats catch a whiff of dog and flee, begging viewers not to lift the piano-, closet door– and suitcase-shaped flaps beneath which they are hiding. (As if.) The frisky, flop-eared pup turns out to be a friendly sort, but the hiding game continues when it looks directly up from the page and, startled (“I think you scared it…”), races out of sight. The ensuing search requires lifting a dozen more flaps and a gentle pat from the reader to soothe the cowering canine. Lifting the artfully shaped and angled flaps reveals multiple surprises, from the dog itself, first met lurking behind a sofa, to a cupboard-dwelling dinosaur (“That’s not our doggy!”). Better yet, along with a hand-lettered text, animal figures rendered in vigorous daubs of black and colored inks give the episode an endearing, informal energy reminiscent of Chris Raschka’s Daisy outings.
Eric Hill’s classic Spot books come off as rather staid (not that that’s necessarily a bad thing) next to this rambunctious, interactive hide-and-seek. (Novelty picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6991-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Crisp and tart by turns, this is one book worth fighting over.
Prepare to savor this title’s original yet familiar feel.
This rhythmic read features a slew of greedy animals, all with their eyes on a prize. A single red apple hangs at the “tip-tippy top” of a tree, poised to fall at any moment. Its precarious position isn’t missed by the hungry animals below, each determined to make the fruit their own. One by one, a different animal expresses their covetous desires in rhyme (“Mmm-mmm, how divine. / When it tumbles to the ground, / it’ll be all mine”). This is followed immediately by different descriptions of how each animal hides. Mouse “zippety-eeked” beneath a leaf to wait, while Hare “hoppety-boinged,” and fox “waggety-dashed.” Such delicious descriptions make this an ideal read-aloud for large groups, while Rohmann’s art plays up the crew’s wild apple-eating fantasies with a colorful combination of stained paper and relief printmaking. For all this, it’s quite satisfying when the fallen fruit finally ends up in the paws of an opossum, willing to share with a worthy worm. This one has all the trappings of a storytime classic—don’t be surprised when young readers eschew its central message and declare this book itself to be unshareable and definitely “mine!” (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Crisp and tart by turns, this is one book worth fighting over. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9780593181669
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Anne Schwartz/Random
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2023
“One little hot dog sitting on a chair…” quickly multiplies to ten in this unimaginative counting book. Each turn of the page adds another dog to the plush blue chair. The wiener dogs play with toys and each other until the ten are tuckered out and fall asleep. The book then counts down as, one by one, the dogs awaken to continue their rumpus on the floor in front of the chair. While the dogs are cute, the text lacks the rhythm and rhyme that would truly make this come alive. Himmelman’s watercolor-and-pencil illustrations are filled with lively pups, but even their antics may not be enough to hold readers’ attention, as the scenery never changes. While they are easy to count, apart from the thin band of color on their collars the dogs are indistinguishable from each other, making it difficult for children to determine which dog joined, or left, the chair. With the dogs being so small in relation to the page size, this is best saved for one-on-one sharing with true dachshund lovers. (Picture book. 3-5)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-7614-5797-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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