For as long as they last, the amusing gimmicks serve this clever and colorful tale well.
Leon the chameleon camouflages himself to escape from various predators as he searches for his friend Carmen.
As readers pull tabs on several of the pages, a snake, a wolf and a crocodile appear. The action also causes Leon, whose body is a die-cut hole, to cleverly change color to match his surroundings with a sliding panel that slots the background hue and pattern into place, with only Leon’s yellow eye still visible. When Leon calls out to Carmen and expresses his love for her, the object of his affection blushes to a bright shade of pink (even though the text claims she turns red) so he can spot her. The duo finds a rainbow and plays the “rainbow colors game,” each changing to match the shades of the spectrum, which is effected with a spin dial. The cleverest moment occurs on the back cover when a chameleon develops vertical, black stripes to match the barcode. The simple, repetitive text clearly explains the action. While the pull-tabs and spin dials work smoothly when new, they are not likely to survive robust play since the pages are thinner-than-normal board-book stock.
For as long as they last, the amusing gimmicks serve this clever and colorful tale well. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-988-8240-59-3
Page Count: 14
Publisher: minedition
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
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
A satisfying friendship story to share with very young children in the days leading up to Halloween.
This board book twists the traditional “Teeny Tiny” tale into a less-scary Halloween treat.
This version uses a singsong-y rhythm and cadence to tell the story. “In the teeny tiny barn / Of a teeny tiny house... / Lived a teeny tiny ghost / and a teeny tiny mouse.” Of course the ghost (being teeny tiny) is not very frightening. “But the determined little ghost / Let her mighty courage through / And with a teeny tiny breath / She said a teeny tiny: boo.” Spoiler alert: After just seven page turns the ghost and mouse become friends: “And now the teeny tinies play / In the teeny tiny house. / Just a teeny tiny ghost / And her best friend, mouse.” Pumpkins decorate the cover and final spread and illustrations throughout are in autumnal hues. The fairly high-for-the-format word count—19 to 21 words per page—may be more than toddlers will sit still for, but the “teeny tiny” repetition and rhymes will help. The size (just 6 inches square) makes using the book with a group a challenge, but with a lap-sitting child, it’ll be a pleasure.
A satisfying friendship story to share with very young children in the days leading up to Halloween. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 30, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-31848-7
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: April 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2019
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