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COWS GOING PAST

Name: COWS GOING PAST
Author: Bruce Balan
ISBN: 0-8037-2902-2

by Bruce Balan & illustrated by Scott Nash ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2005

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Using simply drawn figures and pale, clear colors, Nash transforms a catalog of common car-window sights into something deliciously uncommon. “Everything goes past . . . fast,” a young observer notes, including cows: “A red cow under a green tree staring at a dog. Bow-wow, cow! A brown cow and a white cow asleep by a stream. Do they dream?” Innocuous enough—but that red cow is actually deep in a book, those snoozing cattle cradle a rod and reel while fish check out their bait can; other bovines gambol about waving a veil, schmooze over little cups of espresso, or, as night falls, gather fireflies in jars. Closing with a Good Night, Moon–style recap—“Good-bye, town. Good-bye, tree. Good-bye, barn. Good-bye, sea. And cows. . . . ”—as a cozy bed beckons at journey’s end, this will delight parents as much as preschoolers with its rhythmic language and whimsical twists. (Picture book. 3-5)

Pub Date: May 1, 2005

ISBN: 0-8037-2902-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Dial Books

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2005

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS

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CHICKA CHICKA HO HO HO

From the Chicka Chicka Book series

by William Boniface ; illustrated by Julien Chung ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2024

A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree.

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A Christmas edition of the beloved alphabet book.

The story starts off nearly identically to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989), written by John Archambault and the late Bill Martin Jr, with the letters A, B, and C deciding to meet in the branches of a tree. This time, they’re attempting to scale a Christmas tree, not a coconut tree, and the letters are strung together like garland. A, B, and C are joined by the other letters, and of course they all “slip, slop, topple, plop!” right down the tree. At the bottom, they discover an assortment of gifts, all in a variety of shapes. As a team, the letters and presents organize themselves to get back up on the Christmas tree and get a star to the top. Holiday iterations of favorite tales often fall flat, but this take succeeds. The gifts are an easy way to reinforce another preschool concept—shapes—and the text uses just enough of the original to be familiar. The rhyming works, sticking to the cadence of the source material. The illustrations pay homage to the late Lois Ehlert’s, featuring the same bold block letters, though they lack some of the whimsy and personality of the original. Otherwise, everything is similarly brightly colored and simply drawn. Those familiar with the classic will be drawn to this one, but newcomers can enjoy it on its own.

A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree. (Picture book. 3-5)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024

ISBN: 9781665954761

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

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TEN LITTLE FISH

by Audrey Wood & illustrated by Bruce Wood ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2004

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This charming, colorful counting tale of ten little fish runs full-circle. Although the light verse opens and closes with ten fish swimming in a line, page-by-page the line grows shorter as the number of fish diminishes one-by-one. One fish dives down, one gets lost, one hides, and another takes a nap until a single fish remains. Then along comes another fish to form a couple and suddenly a new family of little fish emerges to begin all over. Slick, digitally-created images of brilliant marine flora and fauna give an illusion of underwater depth and silence enhancing the verse’s numerical and theatrical progression. The holistic story bubbles with life’s endless cycle. (Picture book. 3-5)