Catnip for teachers or anyone leading a storytime and sure to tickle kids.
A witty challenge using reverse psychology: Count only one item on each spread.
An unseen narrator presents one red apple, then one gray elephant. But now there are two large blue whales. Nevertheless, the text firmly instructs us to count only the one sausage held aloft by the whale’s spout. Bowls of red, green, and yellow soup tempt us to cry “three,” but the task is to count the one fly in the green soup. With deadpan encouragement, the narrator admires our progress: “You are really getting the hang of counting to ONE.” But then we are warned that “This is a bit more tricky”: There are four objects—one dinosaur in an astronaut helmet, one molded pink jello, one flaming meteor, and one pair of tighty whiteys, all floating in starry space. Pick one and count it! On another spread, 14 animals (including seven green snakes) and a few insects are arranged across a spread, with categorical instructions: “Using your counting skills, please count the giraffe.” Rashly, the narrator blurts out, “Hey, what number comes after ONE?” but quickly retracts the question: “I’m kidding! Don’t say it!” Finally, the last spread offers a challenge: Count the 100 objects arranged. Salmon manages a difficult task—a wholly original counting book that will have little ones gleefully defying the narrator’s instructions. Delightful, deceptively simple, collagelike illustrations show mastery of color and clever composition. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Catnip for teachers or anyone leading a storytime and sure to tickle kids. (Concept book. 2-5)Pub Date: June 6, 2023
ISBN: 9798887770246
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
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
BOOK REVIEW
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