As consistent picture-to-text matching is a paramount value in picture books, these errors mar an otherwise pleasant story.
A little owl goes on a first Easter egg hunt at home with mother owl.
The mother owl, wearing a pink apron, narrates the story as she encourages her chick to look for eggs she has hidden around their cozy, well-appointed home. Their house has brown, wooden walls and floors as if it might be inside a tree, but the owls enjoy all the features of a human home, such as lamps, a fireplace, and a kitchen. The mother owl gives Little Hoo specific hints on the location of each egg, with encouraging comments and praise at each step. The simple text is set in large white type against the brown backgrounds, with lots of exclamation marks to underscore the mother’s cheerleading tone. Digitally produced illustrations use simple, bold shapes and feature brightly decorated eggs, each in a different pattern, and the two owls with their huge eyes exude a simple charm. Two glaring errors detract from the book. A recap of eggs found in the living room indicates one egg found behind a picture frame, but that frame is missing in the previous illustration of the living room. Another illustration issue is a spread with all the eggs lined up for counting, but the number of eggs shown does not correspond with the collected eggs shown in the previous spread; little counters will notice. In companion title Little Hoo Has the Flu, the mother owl nurses her chick through a little fever.
As consistent picture-to-text matching is a paramount value in picture books, these errors mar an otherwise pleasant story. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: March 21, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5324-1104-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Xist
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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