Sure to satisfy toddlers and preschoolers, this father-child tale will warm many hearts.
“Down in the woods in the evening sun, / Big Daddy Rabbit said, ‘Come, Little One!’ ” So begins this tender book as a furry father and son make the most of the day’s last light to play.
Casey’s rollicking, rhyming text describes their romp, which draws the attention and enthusiastic participation of other woodland creatures. Soon Owl, Mouse and Bear—“the big happy crew”—“[dance] and they [shout] and all [sing] ‘Ya-hoooooo!’ ” But when some whirling and twirling finds the forest friends piled up “in a glorious heap,” poor Little One is left a bit sad and shaken. Fuge masterfully paints cheery bucolic scenes in watercolor. His close-ups of the rabbits convincingly show the soft texture of their fur as well as their loving bond through their large eyes and postures. Although the rabbits often run upright instead of on all fours, young readers won’t mind. Instead, they will relate to Little One’s abrupt swing from rambunctious fun one moment and overwhelmed unhappiness at the unexpected result in the next. All of the animals, regardless of size, show genuine concern at the sight of Little One’s tears. But Big Daddy Rabbit knows exactly what is needed—a hug and a lullaby gently soothe.
Sure to satisfy toddlers and preschoolers, this father-child tale will warm many hearts. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Feb. 10, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7608-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2014
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.
A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.
Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it.
A succession of animal dads do their best to teach their young to say “Dada” in this picture-book vehicle for Fallon.
A grumpy bull says, “DADA!”; his calf moos back. A sad-looking ram insists, “DADA!”; his lamb baas back. A duck, a bee, a dog, a rabbit, a cat, a mouse, a donkey, a pig, a frog, a rooster, and a horse all fail similarly, spread by spread. A final two-spread sequence finds all of the animals arrayed across the pages, dads on the verso and children on the recto. All the text prior to this point has been either iterations of “Dada” or animal sounds in dialogue bubbles; here, narrative text states, “Now everybody get in line, let’s say it together one more time….” Upon the turn of the page, the animal dads gaze round-eyed as their young across the gutter all cry, “DADA!” (except the duckling, who says, “quack”). Ordóñez's illustrations have a bland, digital look, compositions hardly varying with the characters, although the pastel-colored backgrounds change. The punch line fails from a design standpoint, as the sudden, single-bubble chorus of “DADA” appears to be emanating from background features rather than the baby animals’ mouths (only some of which, on close inspection, appear to be open). It also fails to be funny.
Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 9, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-250-00934-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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