These age-appropriate, everyday dramas will promote effective problem-solving.
In this French import, toddler animals are encouraged gently to rethink pacifier use in various settings and situations.
A crocodile parent suggests to their hatchling to leave the pacifier at home so it doesn’t get lost; a kitten learns her speech isn’t clear with the pacifier in her mouth; and a bear cub intent on playtime is ready to throw away the pacifier. These episodes are presented in a combination of simple narration and dialogue between children and parents (there are no other caregiving relationships depicted) who seem to have read all the child-rearing books. A panel on the recto is split in two, and a tab slides out to model the before and after of the child relinquishing the pacifier, with some positive reinforcement at the bottom of the page. The sturdy tabs can be a little stiff, and caregivers may need to assist little ones with pulling. The similar title Sharing follows the same formula and format to demonstrate best-case scenarios around sharing. While these tear-free storylines may be unrealistic, caregivers will appreciate the constructive approaches modeled. Bedouet presents cartoon animals with rounded lines against solid backgrounds; there are no sharp edges in either the narratives or the art. In both titles, families represented are crocodiles, kangaroos, monkeys, bears, and cats.
These age-appropriate, everyday dramas will promote effective problem-solving. (Novelty board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Feb. 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-2-40802-461-1
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Twirl/Chronicle
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come.
Little Blue Truck and his pal Toad meet friends old and new on a springtime drive through the country.
This lift-the-flap, interactive entry in the popular Little Blue Truck series lacks the narrative strength and valuable life lessons of the original Little Blue Truck (2008) and its sequel, Little Blue Truck Leads the Way (2009). Both of those books, published for preschoolers rather than toddlers, featured rich storylines, dramatic, kinetic illustrations, and simple but valuable life lessons—the folly of taking oneself too seriously, the importance of friends, and the virtue of taking turns, for example. At about half the length and with half as much text as the aforementioned titles, this volume is a much quicker read. Less a story than a vernal celebration, the book depicts a bucolic drive through farmland and encounters with various animals and their young along the way. Beautifully rendered two-page tableaux teem with butterflies, blossoms, and vibrant pastel, springtime colors. Little Blue greets a sheep standing in the door of a barn: “Yoo-hoo, Sheep! / Beep-beep! / What’s new?” Folding back the durable, card-stock flap reveals the barn’s interior and an adorable set of twin lambs. Encounters with a duck and nine ducklings, a cow with a calf, a pig with 10 (!) piglets, a family of bunnies, and a chicken with a freshly hatched chick provide ample opportunity for counting and vocabulary work.
Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-544-93809-0
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
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A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character.
One of Boynton's signature characters celebrates Halloween.
It's Halloween time, and Pookie the pig is delighted. Mom helps the little porker pick out the perfect Halloween costume, a process that spans the entire board book. Using an abcb rhyme scheme, Boynton dresses Pookie in a series of cheerful costumes, including a dragon, a bunny, and even a caped superhero. Pookie eventually settles on the holiday classic, a ghost, by way of a bedsheet. Boynton sprinkles in amusing asides to her stanzas as Pookie offers costume commentary ("It's itchy"; "It's hot"; "I feel silly"). Little readers will enjoy the notion of transforming themselves with their own Halloween costumes while reading this book, and a few parents may get some ideas as well. Boynton's clean, sharp illustrations are as good as ever. This is Pookie's first holiday title, but readers will surely welcome more.
A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: July 7, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-553-51233-5
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Robin Corey/Random
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
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