Little train lovers will be happy to travel along as this choo-choo rumbles along the tracks. (Picture book. 2-4)
An exciting train trip from his suburban town to the big city for a visit with grandma proves to be enlightening for a young boy.
This small child, dangling feet from his perch on the station bench, lunch bag in hand, experiences the thrill of traveling alone. His day begins with a warm greeting from a blue-uniformed conductor and continues with the “all aboard” whistle, the rush of the train’s mounting speed felt from a window seat, the special treat of being let into the engineer’s car to “sound the whistle” and the grand view of the approaching star-filled city skyline. Finally, the day-long trip culminates with his grandmother’s welcoming hug at the station. Gouache, Disney-esque cartoon drawings in understated colors provide a cheery, cherubic, wide-eyed cast of characters—complete with a rounded frontal view of a “little engine that could” smiling face. It's definitely a nostalgic view of a contemporary adventure. How many young children would be permitted to travel alone these days? The succinct, rhyming text is created with sentences of no more than two to four words each, which gives an appropriately trainlike rhythm to the narrative and supports emergent literacy skills in toddlers.
Little train lovers will be happy to travel along as this choo-choo rumbles along the tracks. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: Aug. 23, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4231-1837-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: June 7, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2011
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
It’s nothing new, but it’s also clearly heartfelt.
A love song from parents to their child.
This title will seem quite similar to the many others about parents’ deep love for their children. The text is wholly composed of first-person declarations of parental love, and it’s juxtaposed with illustrations of the child with one or both parents. It’s not always clear who the “I” speaking is, and there are a few pages that instead use “we.” Most sentences begin with “I love you more” phrasing to communicate that nothing could undermine parental love: “I love you more than all the sleepless nights…and all the early, tired mornings.” The accompanying pictures depict the child as a baby with weary parents. Later spreads show the child growing up, and the phrasing shifts away from the challenges of parenting to its joys and to attempts to quantify love: “I love you more than all the blades of grass at the park…and all the soccer that we played.” Throughout, Bell’s illustrations use pastel tones and soft visual texture to depict cozy, wholesome scenes that are largely redundant of the straightforward, warm text. They feature a brown-haired family with a mother, father, and child, who all appear to be white (though the father has skin that’s a shade darker than the others’).
It’s nothing new, but it’s also clearly heartfelt. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: Aug. 14, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0652-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
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