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BEAR & HARE GO FISHING

From the Bear & Hare series , Vol. 1

Funny and quick, with excellent art that’s curbed by its tight frame.

An easygoing fishing trip yields unexpected catches.

Setting off to fish, Bear affectionately places a green hat on Hare’s head. Somehow Hare ends up carrying the supplies, including fishing net, picnic hamper, and thermos. Bear carries only his fishing pole, which is so long it escapes the pages. The water in which they fish (though really only Bear fishes) is represented by the entire right-hand page of the spreads, colored a faintly mottled robin’s-egg blue. With his pole and net, Bear snags Hare’s hat (right off his head!), a frog, and a roller skate. The skate flies smack into the middle of a cake from Hare’s picnic basket. Hare stands on one leg in the skate, balancing. As Bear dozes off and the fishing pole falls out of position, Hare plays with daisies, which dangle off his extremely long ear and over the water. Daisies, it turns out, are simply too baitlike to be resisted by the startling catch of the day. Gravett’s pencils, crayons, and watercolors employ light lines and a delicate touch to create Bear’s orange-brown scruffiness and Hare’s softer white fur. The limitation here is that the pages’ edges are so close to the action that the scenes feel constrained, and the all-important fishing line is more often off the page than on.

Funny and quick, with excellent art that’s curbed by its tight frame. (Picture book. 2-5)

Pub Date: July 7, 2015

ISBN: 978-1-4814-2289-5

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S HALLOWEEN

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

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ANIMAL SHAPES

Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable.

You think you know shapes? Animals? Blend them together, and you might see them both a little differently!

What a mischievous twist on a concept book! With wordplay and a few groan-inducing puns, Neal creates connections among animals and shapes that are both unexpected and so seemingly obvious that readers might wonder why they didn’t see them all along. Of course, a “lazy turtle” meeting an oval would create the side-splitting combo of a “SLOW-VAL.” A dramatic page turn transforms a deeply saturated, clean-lined green oval by superimposing a head and turtle shell atop, with watery blue ripples completing the illusion. Minimal backgrounds and sketchy, impressionistic detailing keep the focus right on the zany animals. Beginning with simple shapes, the geometric forms become more complicated as the book advances, taking readers from a “soaring bird” that meets a triangle to become a “FLY-ANGLE” to a “sleepy lion” nonagon “YAWN-AGON.” Its companion text, Animal Colors, delves into color theory, this time creating entirely hybrid animals, such as the “GREEN WHION” with maned head and whale’s tail made from a “blue whale and a yellow lion.” It’s a compelling way to visualize color mixing, and like Animal Shapes, it’s got verve. Who doesn’t want to shout out that a yellow kangaroo/green moose blend is a “CHARTREUSE KANGAMOOSE”?

Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable. (Board book. 2-4)

Pub Date: March 27, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-4998-0534-5

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Little Bee Books

Review Posted Online: May 13, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018

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