A distinct and skillful take on familiar Yuletide themes.
A lemming and her arctic pals search for a tree to decorate for Santa’s visit.
When Avinngaq hears children singing “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” she’s confused. Her sled dog friend Qimmiq explains that on Christmas, people decorate trees. “Then Santa Claus comes!” So Avinngaq asks all the arctic animals to help her find a tree. Unfortunately, they turn up only vegetation such as seaweed, flowers, and arctic willow. Avinngaq is almost out of hope until she plops down on the perfect piece of driftwood. Using the flora that the animals collected, they decorate the perfect tree—and the next day, they discover that Santa has delivered plenty of gifts. All the animals go by their Inuktitut names, and a helpful pronunciation guide follows the story. The simple text is easy to follow and puts a toddler-friendly arctic twist on the familiar holiday. Using blues, purples, and pinks, Mack captures the polar setting; the vividly hued sky is especially eye-catching. Avinngaq and her friends are sweetly drawn, with beady black eyes and expressive faces; all will appeal to little readers. The pacing of the tale, the inviting illustrations, and the opportunity for exposure to the Inuktitut language make this a shelf-worthy holiday title.
A distinct and skillful take on familiar Yuletide themes. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2024
ISBN: 9781772275438
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Inhabit Media
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
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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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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