This celebration of the “baby burrito” is a playful and loving take on life in a Latinx family.
Two doting parents bring their newborn home in this sweet story told with Spanish phrases.
An excellent title for anyone who wants to convey the love and excitement of being a new parent, this bilingual picture book captures the joy of the first few days at home. The house is decorated with banners and balloons, giving the illustrations a celebratory feel. A stuffed llama, toys, and a bassinet have been prepared in anticipation of the birth, and the green and yellow colors in the nursery make it easy for any child to imagine themselves the baby arriving home in the story. The parents, a pale-skinned, redheaded mother and a brown-skinned, dark-haired father, hold their new arrival, then watch the baby in the bassinet until fussing begins. After feeding, they calm their babe by partaking in the universal act of swaddling the tot tightly in a blanket. Accompanying illustrations that show how the baby’s arms and legs are contained, with only the face peeking out, in a bundle that looks like a burrito, the text deftly interjects Spanish words while conveying their meaning through the artwork. A sense of kindness and safety permeates the double-spread depictions of the parents and their child, resulting in a calm and peaceful tale of family love. A Spanish glossary and pronunciation guide follow this clever and heartwarming story. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-18-inch double-page spreads reviewed at 40.8% of actual size.)
This celebration of the “baby burrito” is a playful and loving take on life in a Latinx family. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Jan. 12, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-23109-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020
Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own...
The sturdy Little Blue Truck is back for his third adventure, this time delivering Christmas trees to his band of animal pals.
The truck is decked out for the season with a Christmas wreath that suggests a nose between headlights acting as eyeballs. Little Blue loads up with trees at Toad’s Trees, where five trees are marked with numbered tags. These five trees are counted and arithmetically manipulated in various ways throughout the rhyming story as they are dropped off one by one to Little Blue’s friends. The final tree is reserved for the truck’s own use at his garage home, where he is welcomed back by the tree salestoad in a neatly circular fashion. The last tree is already decorated, and Little Blue gets a surprise along with readers, as tiny lights embedded in the illustrations sparkle for a few seconds when the last page is turned. Though it’s a gimmick, it’s a pleasant surprise, and it fits with the retro atmosphere of the snowy country scenes. The short, rhyming text is accented with colored highlights, red for the animal sounds and bright green for the numerical words in the Christmas-tree countdown.
Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own tree that will put a twinkle in a toddler’s eyes. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-544-32041-3
Page Count: 24
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2014
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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
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