Go, dogs! Go? This book kicks it up a notch. Drive, dogs! Drive!
A rainbow of brightly colored vehicles brings this newest entry in the I Like To Read series to Technicolor life.
Cars, trucks, boats, buses, and more are on wild display in this peppy, easy book. In each double-page spread, one type of transportation presents itself in wild array. The “Cars go” page, for example, yields one finned roadster with a Starry Night–esque paint job, some that seem dipped in every possible hue, and a couple on the subtler end that just sport a single color. The art shows swirls, spots, splats, patterns, and gentle color gradations. The same treatment is applied to the other vehicles, most driven by dogs (the fire engines have all-Dalmatian crews, natch) in various attitudes of glee that communicate easily despite the cartoon simplicity of their renderings. In one double-page wordless display, all of the vehicles come to a screeching “Stop” (signaled on the page before) when a family of ducklings crosses with mama in the lead. Everyone safe? Then “Go. Go. Go.” The sheer energy contained in these images guarantees that children just starting to read will be as floored by the artwork as they are by the sweet rides. Though ideal for the earliest of readers, the subject material found here is bound to appeal to pre-reading vehicular enthusiasts as well.
Go, dogs! Go? This book kicks it up a notch. Drive, dogs! Drive! (Picture book. 2-6)Pub Date: Nov. 10, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4643-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 16, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 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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BOOK REVIEW
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