For settings that can’t get enough of farm-animal board books
Yet another board book designed to introduce farm animals to young children.
The twist in this offering, a follow-up to Night-Night Forest Friends (2013), is that initially the animals are asleep. Readers meet them as the sun rises over idyllic farm scenes rendered digitally in ink and paint. The first spread is quite dark, with a haloed sun that goes from beige to deep purple as the concentric arcs move up the page. A dark red barn sits on a hill above gray-green rolling meadows. Subsequent pages employ the same muted palette in ever lighter shades. Each spread features a standard farm animal: ducks, dogs, sheep, pigs, cows, horses, with chickens and a cartoonish rooster occupying two spreads. The surprising addition of llamas on the fourth spread is apt as domesticated llamas become more common in North America. This must be a free-range farm; the second-to-last spread shows all the animals on both sides of a pasture fence. The final illustration mimics the opening spread, with the animals in the fields and a yellow sun in the sky. Rhyming text identifies each animal and hints at its habits, with some artistic license: How sheep would open a gate, as they are urged to do, is unclear. Although the wake-up motif is fairly fresh, it’s not enough to make this book top of the crop.
For settings that can’t get enough of farm-animal board books . (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: May 8, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5247-8624-3
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: May 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
In this board book designed for the littlest llama lovers, adorable-as-ever Llama Llama (Llama Llama Red Pajama, 2005, etc.) gets ready for some Halloween fun.
Dewdney’s characteristic spare, apt rhymes convey a lot of action in effortlessly readable fashion. A charming and simple introduction to Halloween and its associated activities, this title finds little Llama Llama choosing and carving a pumpkin, pouring candy into bowls, picking out a costume and, finally, trick-or-treating. The costume Llama Llama decides to don—pointy teeth and a black mask and cape—is enough to frighten and fool his friends but not readers, who will immediately recognize and smile at the silly little mini-Dracula. With Dewdney’s characters as expressive as ever, young readers will be drawn right into the holiday fun, eagerly anticipating which costume Llama Llama will choose and excited to see him scare his friends and score some candy at trick-or-treat. In the equally appealing companion title, Llama Llama Jingle Bells,the little fellow gets ready for Christmas, baking and decorating some cookies in anticipation of Santa’s arrival. This simple holiday title will win Llama Llama new fans, and old friends will want to add it and its companion to their collections. (Board book. 1-2)
Pub Date: Aug. 19, 2014
ISBN: 978-0451469786
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Leave the hopping to Peter Cottontail and sing the original song instead.
An Easter-themed board-book parody of the traditional nursery rhyme.
Unfortunately, this effort is just as sugary and uninspired as The Itsy Bitsy Snowman, offered by the same pair in 2015. A cheerful white bunny hops through a pastel world to distribute candy and treats for Easter but spills his baskets. A hedgehog, fox, mouse, and various birds come to the bunny’s rescue, retrieving the candy, helping to devise a distribution plan, and hiding the eggs. Then magically, they all fly off in a hot air balloon as the little animals in the village emerge to find the treats. Without any apparent purpose, the type changes color to highlight some words. For very young children every word is new, so highlighting “tiny tail” or “friends” makes no sense. Although the text is meant to be sung, the words don't quite fit the rhythm of the original song. Moreover, there are not clear motions to accompany the text; without the fingerplay movements, this book has none of the satisfying verve of the traditional version.
Leave the hopping to Peter Cottontail and sing the original song instead. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-5621-0
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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