Ephemeral, though cute while it lasts.
Felt manipulatives set this simple board book apart from other lift-the flap books.
The slight story imported from France relies on repetition. “Little Chick is looking for his mama. Can you help him find her? / Is she in the tree? / No, that’s a bird.” In addition to the songbird, the charming baby finds a duck and a goose before reuniting with his mama in the chicken coop. Each of these animals is concealed behind a felt flap. On first read, most young children will not be able to guess what animal may be hidden. A speck of yellow that is the duckling’s tail poking from “behind the reeds” and a bit of the goose’s beak partially shown “behind the gate” are extremely subtle hints, and the songbird and Mother Hen are totally hidden. Still, the pattern is easily learned. Little fingers will quickly move the felt flaps out of the way, though they may become soiled or torn when subjected to normal toddler handling. The flap on the cover, cut in the shape of half an eggshell, may not survive the Easter basket. Huang’s cheerful illustrations in pink, orange, teal, yellow, and white match the season but bear little relation to colors children might see in nature. Greenery is orange, teal, or pink—not spring green. The reeds look like an orange crown, and the cloud-shaped piece of felt that hides the bird is orange, as are the other leaves on the tree.
Ephemeral, though cute while it lasts. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5344-5177-3
Page Count: 10
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2020
Exactly what readers want and expect from the board-book master.
Pookie and family celebrate Thanksgiving.
Boynton’s precocious little pig is back in this holiday installment. The family gets ready for Thanksgiving by baking pies, welcoming Nemmy and Boppa for dinner, and sharing gratitude (and pie!). Boynton’s familiar rhyming text and simple, thick-lined illustrations are exactly what readers have come to expect from this series: Pookie is a little silly, the story bounces along, and the artwork is warm and cozy. Though most of the action takes place inside, the passage of day is clear through the window, from daylight to the setting sun. Decorations and a tree with just a few leaves on it indicate the autumnal season. There are two pages where numbers are called out, presented differently from the rest of the typeface (Pookie and their parents prepare apple pie and one pumpkin pie, and there will be five guests at dinner). The only bolded digits are one and five, even though the text does mention that there will be a total of two pies—a stylistic choice that seems to point readers to counting practice but that feels a bit random. Overall, though, this is a worthy new story about one of Boynton’s most beloved characters. True to form, it’s a toddler-friendly read, providing context for the festivities and a sweet representation of gratitude. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Exactly what readers want and expect from the board-book master. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-66592-263-0
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Boynton Bookworks
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to.
This simplified version of Diesen and Hanna’s The Pout-Pout Fish (2008) is appropriate for babies and toddlers.
Brief, rhyming text tells the story of a sullen fish cheered up with a kiss. A little pink sea creature pokes his head out of a hole in the sea bottom to give the gloomy fish some advice: “Smile, Mr. Fish! / You look so down // With your glum-glum face / And your pout-pout frown.” He explains that there’s no reason to be worried, scared, sad or mad and concludes: “How about a smooch? / And a cheer-up wish? // Now you look happy: / What a smile, Mr. Fish!” Simple and sweet, this tale offers the lesson that sometimes, all that’s needed for a turnaround in mood is some cheer and encouragement to change our perspective. The clean, uncluttered illustrations are kept simple, except for the pout-pout fish’s features, which are delightfully expressive. Little ones will easily recognize and likely try to copy the sad, scared and angry looks that cross the fish’s face.
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-374-37084-8
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
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