Readers may well enjoy the colorful (if repetitive) illustrations and lifting the flaps even though there isn’t much point...
In this lift-the-flap book, the titular squirrel has hidden all of his acorns and needs assistance finding them.
Readers help the squirrel find his well-hidden acorns via color and number cues. The book progresses color by color and also sequentially as the squirrel searches for one red acorn, then two yellow acorns, and so on. Gaggiotti’s digital illustrations are charming—especially of the sneaky, snacky squirrel and his bird friends—but page to page, there is little variation to hold readers’ interest. The tree appears on each spread but remains mostly the same. The background color behind the text offers the most dramatic difference from a design perspective. The flaps are difficult to see and vary in placement from scene to scene, which is perhaps part of the challenge. Though the text asks readers to find a specific number and color of acorns, there are not multiple colors or differences in numbers from which readers can choose to guide them to the “correct” choices vis-à-vis the decoys. For example, on one spread, the choice is simply between an acorn and a piece of pizza. If readers coincidentally find the acorn or acorns first, there is no need to look under other flaps. The book doesn’t allow readers to explore the differences among colors and quantities, which robs it of some of its developmental oomph.
Readers may well enjoy the colorful (if repetitive) illustrations and lifting the flaps even though there isn’t much point to what’s underneath them. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7636-9465-4
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Candlewick Entertainment
Review Posted Online: Nov. 21, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2018
Leave the hopping to Peter Cottontail and sing the original song instead.
An Easter-themed board-book parody of the traditional nursery rhyme.
Unfortunately, this effort is just as sugary and uninspired as The Itsy Bitsy Snowman, offered by the same pair in 2015. A cheerful white bunny hops through a pastel world to distribute candy and treats for Easter but spills his baskets. A hedgehog, fox, mouse, and various birds come to the bunny’s rescue, retrieving the candy, helping to devise a distribution plan, and hiding the eggs. Then magically, they all fly off in a hot air balloon as the little animals in the village emerge to find the treats. Without any apparent purpose, the type changes color to highlight some words. For very young children every word is new, so highlighting “tiny tail” or “friends” makes no sense. Although the text is meant to be sung, the words don't quite fit the rhythm of the original song. Moreover, there are not clear motions to accompany the text; without the fingerplay movements, this book has none of the satisfying verve of the traditional version.
Leave the hopping to Peter Cottontail and sing the original song instead. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-5621-0
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to.
This simplified version of Diesen and Hanna’s The Pout-Pout Fish (2008) is appropriate for babies and toddlers.
Brief, rhyming text tells the story of a sullen fish cheered up with a kiss. A little pink sea creature pokes his head out of a hole in the sea bottom to give the gloomy fish some advice: “Smile, Mr. Fish! / You look so down // With your glum-glum face / And your pout-pout frown.” He explains that there’s no reason to be worried, scared, sad or mad and concludes: “How about a smooch? / And a cheer-up wish? // Now you look happy: / What a smile, Mr. Fish!” Simple and sweet, this tale offers the lesson that sometimes, all that’s needed for a turnaround in mood is some cheer and encouragement to change our perspective. The clean, uncluttered illustrations are kept simple, except for the pout-pout fish’s features, which are delightfully expressive. Little ones will easily recognize and likely try to copy the sad, scared and angry looks that cross the fish’s face.
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-374-37084-8
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
