A nice approach to the counting book that does well overall even if its abstract illustrations aren’t a perfect take.
Dots take on the shapes of animals in this progressive counting board book.
Part guessing game, part counting exercise, this oversized board book with extra-thick pages introduces animals, numerals, and counting to 10. The introductory spread for each number and animal includes a raised, brightly colored numeral alongside its written form. Next to that are a series of dots in the corresponding number. The dots are covered by a solid-colored page with die-cut circles so that a flip of the page reveals what the dots become: Three dots become a heavily stylized duck; five a horse; and nine a snake, for example. The structure invites readers to guess what the dots might become, a playful element for little ones with big imaginations. Deneux’s palette is as important to the illustrations as the dots. Contrasting, deeply saturated colors help give context, as with the glowworm that appears on an entirely black background. Because the animals are made up of dots, they are abstract. This works well for some but not all; many readers may see the 10-dot dinosaur as a green horse, for instance. While this allows readers to interpret what they see, it could also be frustrating that the animals are not all immediately identifiable.
A nice approach to the counting book that does well overall even if its abstract illustrations aren’t a perfect take. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Oct. 9, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4521-7390-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 4, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2019
Ho-hum.
A riff on the familiar lullaby depicts various animal parents, and then a human father, soothing their sleepy little ones.
An opening spread includes the traditional first verse of the titular lullaby, but instead of depicting a human baby in a treetop cradle, the accompanying illustration shows a large tree as habitat to the animals that are highlighted on subsequent pages. First the perspective zooms in on a painterly illustration rendered in acrylics of a mother squirrel cuddling her baby with text reading “Rock-a-bye Squirrel, / high in the tree, / in Mommy’s arms, / cozy as can be.” In this spread and others the cadence doesn’t quite fit with the familiar tune, and repeated verses featuring different animals—all opening with the “Rock-a-bye” line—don’t give way to the resolution. No winds blow, no boughs break, and the repetitive forced rhythm of the verse could cause stumbles when attempting a read-aloud. The final image of a human father and baby, whose skin tone and hair texture suggest that they are perhaps of South Asian descent, provides pleasing visual resolution in a book with art that outshines text.
Ho-hum. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3753-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: June 26, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
An excellent starter book for those looking to raise their children in a bilingual environment.
Niñas y niños learn their ABCs en español.
A is for ardilla (squirrel) and E is for erizo (hedgehog) in this pastel-colored board book. Each page features a different animal or object with a large, scratchily drawn uppercase letter in the top-left corner. (All the text appears to be hand-drawn and frequently displays irregular use of upper- and lowercase conventions.) The upper-right corner of the page spotlights the item’s Spanish and English names, with Spanish printed large on top and English in a smaller hand beneath. The illustrations are warm and sweet, presenting rounded, friendly figures colored with pastel hues. Even inanimate objects, such as the wafle (waffle) and the uvas (grapes), are given smiling faces and welcoming body language. There are separate entries for N for “niña/niño” (“girl/boy”) and Ñ for ñu (translated as “wildebeest” rather than “gnu”). It appears that X (xilófono) and Y (yak) are as troublesome for abecederaries in Spanish as in English. After the alphabet is finished, the backmatter provides the pronunciation of each letter for non–Spanish speakers and phonetic spelling for each creature along with the further introduction of the sounds ll, ch, and rr. The book is handsomely bound in faux hardcover style, boasting sturdy pages and smooth textures.
An excellent starter book for those looking to raise their children in a bilingual environment. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: April 10, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-63322-283-0
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Walter Foster Jr.
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
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