A satisfying, full-fledged story that deftly accommodates the short attention spans and kinetic needs of young listeners.
The exuberant play of a kitten is the subject of Ismail’s latest picture book.
The cover depicts a furry, gray feline leaping in midair while clutching a red ball of unraveling yarn. The loopy, crimson line leads all eyes forward while setting the stage for readers to follow the motion lines in the subsequent action-packed pages. Short, high-energy rhymes and onomatopoeia add to the fun: “ZOOM-ZOOM / ZIM-ZAM / CLIP-CLOP / HIP-HOP /What a trip— / don’t stop!” accompanies the loop-the-loops of the young pet as it follows a bouncing rubber ball and tumbles into a standing lamp. After knocking over the food dish, wreaking havoc with the laundry rack, and crashing into the family dog, the creature is propelled through the cat door and crashes down the back steps. Fortunately, the watchful mother cat is right there with a “little hug, a kiss, a squeeze,” and she proceeds to “check your paws / and clean your knees.” In no time, the kitten is distracted and begins chasing a butterfly. Uncluttered, white backgrounds; clear, colorful details; a buoyant protagonist; and a spirited text make this a perfect choice for one-on-one or group sharing.
A satisfying, full-fledged story that deftly accommodates the short attention spans and kinetic needs of young listeners. (Picture book. 2-6)Pub Date: June 9, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0934-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Feb. 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
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
Safe to creep on by.
Carle’s famous caterpillar expresses its love.
In three sentences that stretch out over most of the book’s 32 pages, the (here, at least) not-so-ravenous larva first describes the object of its love, then describes how that loved one makes it feel before concluding, “That’s why… / I[heart]U.” There is little original in either visual or textual content, much of it mined from The Very Hungry Caterpillar. “You are… / …so sweet,” proclaims the caterpillar as it crawls through the hole it’s munched in a strawberry; “…the cherry on my cake,” it says as it perches on the familiar square of chocolate cake; “…the apple of my eye,” it announces as it emerges from an apple. Images familiar from other works join the smiling sun that shone down on the caterpillar as it delivers assurances that “you make… / …the sun shine brighter / …the stars sparkle,” and so on. The book is small, only 7 inches high and 5 ¾ inches across when closed—probably not coincidentally about the size of a greeting card. While generations of children have grown up with the ravenous caterpillar, this collection of Carle imagery and platitudinous sentiment has little of his classic’s charm. The melding of Carle’s caterpillar with Robert Indiana’s iconic LOVE on the book’s cover, alas, draws further attention to its derivative nature.
Safe to creep on by. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Dec. 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-448-48932-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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