The illustrations outshine the weak story and counting practice.
A counting rhyme updated for our times.
Ten little squirrels are playing by a tree. The first asks, “Look what I see!” The second responds with “A man with a dog.” (In the original 1970 book of the rhyme adapted by Martin, the man had a gun instead.) Squirrels three through nine are full of advice about what to do: “The fourth one said, / ‘No, let’s hide in the shade.’ // The fifth one said, / ‘I’m not afraid.’ ” The rollicking verses, similar in bounce to Martin’s famous Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?(1967), keep the pages turning to the climactic 10th squirrel and his gigantic full-spread sneeze, which gains the delighted dog’s attention (“Time for some fun!”) and sends the squirrels off in a flurry of fur, each a distinct color. While the delightful colors and textures of the collaged illustrations will attract readers’ eyes, the counting part leaves a bit to be desired, especially since there are no numerals, and there’s little story to amuse. The 10 squirrels appear all together only at the end, and even then, we see only the arm and the tail of one squirrel, so readers may count only nine. Backmatter includes a web of squirrel facts, each with a question for readers. “Squirrels live on every continent except for Australia and Antarctica. Do squirrels live near you?” (This book was reviewed digitally.)
The illustrations outshine the weak story and counting practice. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 25, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-61254-600-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Brown Books Kids
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
A tender book to help little ones make sense of the emotions around prayer.
Actor Metz and songwriter Collins join illustrator Fields in their second faith-related title for young children.
Instead of focusing on the language of prayer—what to say or how to say it—this book explores a topic central to the lives of the very young: their feelings around talking to God. Rhymes and near-rhymes in the AABB verses enumerate the simple challenges and triumphs experienced by a series of animals: “Sometimes I’m sad, not sure what to do. / There are days I feel teary, unhappy, or blue. / I fell off a log. I’m embarrassed and hurt. / My coat and paws are all covered in dirt.” An accompanying illustration depicts a sad wolf pup, a definite contrast to its siblings, who are delighting in their play. The highlight of the book is Fields’ animal characters. Whether happy, nervous, or sad, their expressive faces are easy to read, and their feelings will be familiar to young tots. The beaver’s frustration is palpable, and the tears in the scared raccoon’s eyes may just make readers’ own eyes well up. Some of the animals have a God stand-in to help them with their feelings—a friend or family member—but the final spread shows all the individual animals coming together in a couple of group hugs that express where children can find support (and sweetly defy predator–prey relationships).
A tender book to help little ones make sense of the emotions around prayer. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780593691366
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Flamingo Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
Count on construction die-hards falling in love, but discerning readers would be wise to look elsewhere for their...
Less ambitious than Chris Gall’s widely known Dinotrux (2009) and sequels, this British import systematically relegates each dinosaur/construction-equipment hybrid to its most logical job.
The title figures are introduced as bigger than both diggers and dinosaurs, and rhyming text and two construction-helmeted kids show just what these creatures are capable of. Each diggersaur has a specific job to do and a distinct sound effect. The dozersaurus moves rocks with a “SCRAAAAPE!!!” while the rollersaurus flattens lumps with a cheery “TOOT TOOT!!” Each diggersaur is numbered, with 12 in all, allowing this to be a counting book on the sly. As the diggersaurs (not all of which dig) perform jobs that regular construction equipment can do, albeit on a larger scale, there is no particular reason why any of them should have dinosaurlike looks other than just ’cause. Peppy computer art tries valiantly to attract attention away from the singularly unoriginal text. “Diggersaurs dig with bites so BIG, / each SCOOP creates a crater. // They’re TOUGH and STRONG / with necks so long— / they’re super EXCAVATORS!” Far more interesting are the two human characters, a white girl and a black boy, that flit about the pictures offering commentary and action. Much of the fun of the book can be found in trying to spot them on every two-page spread.
Count on construction die-hards falling in love, but discerning readers would be wise to look elsewhere for their dino/construction kicks. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-9848-4779-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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