This tribute overflows with the gleeful, impassioned zest that is part and parcel of being a toddler. Comprised of 16 vignettes, readers can shimmy and shake with “Stomping Time,” learn about shapes and colors, twirl about, splash in a puddle, indulge in a temper tantrum (as is realistically re-enacted in the appropriately titled poem “NO!”) and much more, finally concluding with “ZZZZ,” which pays homage to bedtime restlessness. The crisp rhymes blend commonplace observances with a smattering of silliness: “Paddle in a pool,/surf in the sea./Dance through a sprinkler . . . /But no bath for me!” In short, Simon (The Topsy- Turvies, 1996, etc.) covers the minutiae of everyday life, the play that is frequently overlooked yet remains essential to learning. Soft pastel illustrations masterfully capture the facets of toddlerhood; children leap across the pages expressing every emotion of the text, stated or not. An exuberant celebration. (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-531-30120-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Orchard
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1999
PLB 0-7868-2469-7 Kirk (Bigger, 1998, etc.) spins out an extraterrestrial version of the familiar lullaby, featuring a four-armed father promising his banana-colored little one, among other prizes, a shooting star, an astronaut (against the astronaut’s wishes, it appears), a laser rifle, tools to build a spaceship and, finally, a good-night kiss. Giving his aliens the look of hard-shelled retro toys with large liquid eyes, the author develops a silent plotline—the little alien builds the spaceship because he’s melted the old one with his new laser—as they move from a near-Earth orbit to the bottle-strewn Milky Way. It’s a bedtime journey as loving, if not quite as soporific, as the original. (Picture book. 3-5)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-7868-0538-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1999
Bertie and his best friend—or more accurately stated, toy rabbit, named Small—are inseparable, embarking upon innumerable adventures together. Through the inventiveness of this small child, a simple box stuffed with a few toys becomes a variety of things: a house, a car, a perfect hiding spot. When further inspiration strikes, the box becomes a seagoing vessel for Bertie and Small. While using straightforward language, Cabban eloquently captures a toddler’s innate ability to transform nearly every environment through the imagination, and when the father joins Bertie’s playtime, readers gain a tender glimpse at a loving relationship. A cozy book, ideal for story time. (Picture book. 2-4)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-7636-0878-5
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1999
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