Babies and toddlers will appreciate this playful, upbeat introduction to shapes.
A celebration of love and an ode to shapes for the littlest readers.
The first double-page spread depicts a single, stylized red bird on each page and the text “Birds love each other.” Thanks to cleverly placed die cuts, when the page is turned, the two birds join to form a heart on the left-hand page. The right-hand page simply features a large white heart on a bright red background. The remainder of the title follows this pattern: Two bright blue mice come together to form a triangle; smiling turtles—one atop the other—form a circle; a small elephant curls up beneath a big elephant to form a semicircle; two orange bunnies form a trapezoid; and a couple of cute bears make a square. The final pages showcase a feline family forming a rectangle: “Cats love each other… / …and their kitten too.” In a bit of an awkward transition, the back cover speaks directly to readers, with the words “…I love YOU too!” above a big red heart. The vibrantly colored, stylized animals are appealing, the large white shapes on bold backgrounds command attention, and the glossy, die-cut pages encourage exploration.
Babies and toddlers will appreciate this playful, upbeat introduction to shapes. (Board book. 6 mos.-3)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-988-8240-56-2
Page Count: 30
Publisher: minedition
Review Posted Online: Nov. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2014
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
Riveting, inspiring, and sometimes hilarious.
If you made a recording to be heard by the aliens who found the iPod, what would you record?
For 11-year-old Alex Petroski, it's easy. He records everything. He records the story of how he travels to New Mexico to a rocket festival with his dog, Carl Sagan, and his rocket. He records finding out that a man with the same name and birthday as his dead father has an address in Las Vegas. He records eating at Johnny Rockets for the first time with his new friends, who are giving him a ride to find his dead father (who might not be dead!), and losing Carl Sagan in the wilds of Las Vegas, and discovering he has a half sister. He even records his own awful accident. Cheng delivers a sweet, soulful debut novel with a brilliant, refreshing structure. His characters manage to come alive through the “transcript” of Alex’s iPod recording, an odd medium that sounds like it would be confusing but really works. Taking inspiration from the Voyager Golden Record released to space in 1977, Alex, who explains he has “light brown skin,” records all the important moments of a journey that takes him from a family of two to a family of plenty.
Riveting, inspiring, and sometimes hilarious. (Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Feb. 28, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-399-18637-0
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2016
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