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
A swell read for the lighthearted. (Board book. 1-3)
The bunnies that inhabit Boynton’s colorful world put on a musical show for the other animals.
The rabbits have taken over the theater. They dance and sing, bragging about their long ears and twitchy noses for the pigs and chickens in the audience. The rhythmic chorus—“We are ten terrific rabbits and we like to dance and sing. / Ten terrific rabbits. We can do almost anything”—is mighty infectious. The author’s trademark wit and humor are on full display as the other animals dress up like bunnies and join the massive grand finale. The barnyard cast forms a musical troupe that amuses and delights. Adults will appreciate the clever sight gags, and small children will appreciate the tasteful boasting and empowering jingle. While it’s not as complete a vehicle for inculcating emergent language skills as many of Boynton’s other books, there’s no denying it’s got verve.
A swell read for the lighthearted. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 9, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-7611-8060-9
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Workman
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Predictable text, a slight storyline, and cutouts that toddlers will use to turn the pages make this an acceptable...
Six bug-eyed, smiling iconic Halloween characters are startled by mysterious shouts of “Boo!” but little ones won't be fazed.
Beginning with “Night owl, night owl, was that you? / Were you the one who shouted BOO?” the same question is repeated on each page, substituting the name of the Halloween symbol pictured. Young readers will soon know the response: “It wasn't me!” The eyes of the owl, cat, pumpkin, witch, spider, and wizard are nesting, die-cut holes of decreasing size. The character from the previous page is included on each double-page spread, providing visual continuity. The next-to-last spread shows all six characters worriedly asking, “Who's hiding out there in the night?” The final page turn reveals the obvious answer: “It's a ghost!” The placement of the word “Boo” changes on each page, which may confuse toddlers who learn to anticipate text through its consistent appearance. Despite the bright, almost garish illustrations in purple, black, orange, green, blue, and pink, the perennially smiling characters are static and flat; both witch and wizard are Caucasian.
Predictable text, a slight storyline, and cutouts that toddlers will use to turn the pages make this an acceptable introduction to the fun of Halloween. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-68010-501-8
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
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