Underwhelming and offering little new for toddlers.
A board book inspired by Montessori principles features developmentally appropriate vocabulary and tactile elements.
Over 10 double-page spreads the book depicts nine musical instruments—trumpet, clarinet, cymbals, sousaphone, bass drum, saxophone, flute, glockenspiel, and snare drum—and a parade featuring all of them. A rough approximation of the sound of each instrument is the only text. The “plink” of the glockenspiel, “oom-pah” of the sousaphone, and “tootle-tootle-too” of the flute are clear, but attempts at onomatopoeia for the other instruments are less successful. (A QR code on the back cover provides access to sound files introduced by a robotic speaker.) The sounds are repeated as the entire marching band parades across the final spread, which also reveals the musicians to be a variety of races and ethnicities. A woman in the onlooking crowd wears a hijab. Though advertised prominently, the tactile elements really feel like an afterthought. On five pages, canvas textures hidden in small musical notes are almost indiscernible to tiny fingers. On four pages those canvas textures are placed somewhat arbitrarily on parts of each instrument. The larger tactile elements in the simultaneously publishing companion, Colors, are more prominent and therefore more effective. There, Wilson’s muted colors have undertones of gray so the blue is closer to teal and the pink is really coral, reducing its efficacy. The only text is the color name.
Underwhelming and offering little new for toddlers. (Board book. 6 mos.-2)Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4867-1649-4
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Flowerpot Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
A substantive and affirming addition to any collection.
An impressive array of names, events, and concepts from Black history are introduced in this alphabet book for early-elementary readers.
From A for anthem(“a banner of song / that wraps us in hope, lets us know we belong”) to Z for zenith(“the top of that mountain King said we would reach”), this picture book is a journey through episodes, ideas, and personalities that represent a wide range of Black experiences. Some spreads celebrate readers themselves, like B for beautiful(“I’m talking to you!”); others celebrate accomplishments, such as E for explore(Matthew Henson, Mae Jemison), or experiences, like G for the Great Migration. The rhyming verses are light on the tongue, making the reading smooth and soothing. The brightly colored, folk art–style illustrations offer vibrant scenes of historical and contemporary Black life, with common people and famous people represented in turn. Whether reading straight through and poring over each page or flipping about to look at the refreshing scenes full of brown and black faces, readers will feel pride and admiration for the resilience and achievements of Black people and a call to participate in the “unfinished…American tale.” Endnotes clarify terms and figures, and a resource list includes child-friendly books, websites, museums, and poems.
A substantive and affirming addition to any collection. (Informational picture book. 6-11)Pub Date: Dec. 8, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5235-0749-8
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Workman
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A solid addition to Rotner’s seasonal series. Bring on summer.
Rotner follows up her celebrations of spring and autumn with this look at all things winter.
Beginning with the signs that winter is coming—bare trees, shorter days, colder temperatures—Rotner eases readers into the season. People light fires and sing songs on the solstice, trees and plants stop growing, and shadows grow long. Ice starts to form on bodies of water and windows. When the snow flies, the fun begins—bundle up and then build forts, make snowballs and snowmen (with eyebrows!), sled, ski (nordic is pictured), skate, snowshoe, snowboard, drink hot chocolate. Animals adapt to the cold as well. “Birds grow more feathers” (there’s nothing about fluffing and air insulation) and mammals, more hair. They have to search for food, and Rotner discusses how many make or find shelter, slow down, hibernate, or go underground or underwater to stay warm. One page talks about celebrating holidays with lights and decorations. The photos show a lit menorah, an outdoor deciduous tree covered in huge Christmas bulbs, a girl next to a Chinese dragon head, a boy with lit luminarias, and some fireworks. The final spread shows signs of the season’s shift to spring. Rotner’s photos, as always, are a big draw. The children are a marvelous mix of cultures and races, and all show their clear delight with winter.
A solid addition to Rotner’s seasonal series. Bring on summer. (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3976-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
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