Digger-obsessed children will be enthralled, though others may easily pass on this one-note dog.
Digger Dog is obsessed with finding buried bones, but will he be able to dig up the world’s largest?
His nose finds the bones, and a shovel usually works to dig them up. But this time, a shovel just doesn’t cut it. Neither do a little digger, a bigger digger or a much bigger digger (depicted as a series of ever-larger backhoes). Luckily, Digger Dog has access to the biggest digger in the whole world (so large it needs a foldout of the entire two-page spread to encompass it all). And while the bone may not require the similarly large final foldout spread, what lies beneath it does. But will Digger Dog find it? Throughout, two helpers, a rabbit and a mouse, cheer him on and supply the orange cones, construction signs and tape that mark this as a digging site. Johansson’s mixed-media illustrations keep the focus on Digger Dog and his workers, their action playing out against a white background and on top of bright ground that is filled with circle patterns, the exposed dirt receiving a color and pattern all its own. With lots of repetition and mostly simple vocabulary, this is suitable for those children moving beyond the early-reader stage, though the lack of a real story may disappoint.
Digger-obsessed children will be enthralled, though others may easily pass on this one-note dog. (Picture book. 2-6)Pub Date: April 22, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6162-5
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2014
Gently models kindness and respect—positive behavior that can be applied daily.
A group of young “dinosauruses” go out into the world on their own.
A fuchsia little Hugasaurus and her Pappysaur (both of whom resemble Triceratops) have never been apart before, but Hugasaurus happily heads off with lunchbox in hand and “wonder in her heart” to make new friends. The story has a first-day-of-school feeling, but Hugasaurus doesn’t end up in a formal school environment; rather, she finds herself on a playground with other little prehistoric creatures, though no teacher or adult seems to be around. At first, the new friends laugh and play. But Hugasaurus’ pals begin to squabble, and play comes to a halt. As she wonders what to do, a fuzzy platypus playmate asks some wise questions (“What…would your Pappy say to do? / What makes YOU feel better?”), and Hugasaurus decides to give everyone a hug—though she remembers to ask permission first. Slowly, good humor is restored and play begins anew with promises to be slow to anger and, in general, to help create a kinder world. Short rhyming verses occasionally use near rhyme but also include fun pairs like ripples and double-triples. Featuring cozy illustrations of brightly colored creatures, the tale sends a strong message about appropriate and inappropriate ways to resolve conflict, the final pages restating the lesson plainly in a refrain that could become a classroom motto. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Gently models kindness and respect—positive behavior that can be applied daily. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Dec. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-338-82869-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
For toddlers unafraid of typical Halloween imagery.
A troop of cats traverse a spooky landscape as they make their way to a party hosted by ghosts.
Each double-page spread shows the felines’ encounters with the likes of an owl, jack-o’-lanterns or a bat. One or two of these creepy meetings may be too abstract for the youngest readers, as the cats hear eerie noises with no discernible source on the page. The text, which consists of one rhyming couplet per scene, mostly scans despite a couple of wobbles: “Five black cats get a bit of a scare / As the flip-flapping wings of a bat fill the air.” The sleek, slightly retro art, likely created using a computer, depicts the cats cavorting at night through a shadowy cityscape, the countryside and a haunted house; they may scare some toddlers and delight others. A brighter color palette would have given the project a friendlier, more universal appeal. Luckily, the well-lit, final party scene provides a playful conclusion.
For toddlers unafraid of typical Halloween imagery. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-58925-611-8
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: Sept. 24, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2014
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