Though some adults might suck their teeth at a few of the suggested uses, the message that books are fun (and useful)...
Books are everywhere, as these adorable toddlers prove!
The word “book” is paired with a second word on each page or spread as a troupe of little ones demonstrates the meaning. The first spread reads, “Book big,” and shows a child opening a massive book to a picture of an elephant; both book and illustration dwarf the tot. Small, wide and tall follow. Then comes “Book build / book mat / book chair / book hat,” all across one spread, and the children use the books as indicated. The multiethnic toddlers interact with books throughout, and many have befitting titles. In “Book park,” three munchkins sit in swings; one is holding the book Trees Are the Bee’s Knees, while another has dropped Oops-a-Daisy! by accident. The illustrations are full of charm, and the mouse that figures throughout will provide children an additional means of engagement. The children have dots for eyes and squiggles for facial features, and humorous touches, such as a diaper peeking out over a waistband, abound. The large size and nice, heavy paper stock make this lap friendly.
Though some adults might suck their teeth at a few of the suggested uses, the message that books are fun (and useful) certainly overrides that. In two words: Books rule! (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: May 27, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-385-37506-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Feb. 11, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2014
A gentle outing for children who are ready for stories of everyday life rather than just objects to name.
A brief rhyming board book for toddlers.
Spurr's earlier board books (In the Garden and At the Beach, both 2012; In the Woods, 2013) featured an adventuresome little boy. Her new slice-of-life story stars an equally joyful little girl who takes pleasure in flying a new kite while not venturing far off the walkway. Oliphant's expressive and light-filled watercolors clearly depict the child's emotions—eager excitement on the way to the park, delight at the kite's flight in the wind, shock when the kite breaks free, dejection, and finally relief and amazement. The rhymes work, though uneven syllable counts in some stanzas interrupt the smooth flow of the verse. The illustrations depict the child with her mass of windblown curls, brown skin, and pronounced facial features as African-American. Her guardian (presumably her mother) is also brown-skinned. It is refreshing to see an African-American family settled comfortably in a suburban setting with single-family homes and a park where the family dog does not need to be leashed.
A gentle outing for children who are ready for stories of everyday life rather than just objects to name. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: March 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-56145-854-7
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
The joys of counting combine with pretty art and homage to Goodnight Moon.
This bedtime book offers simple rhymes, celebrates the numbers one through 10, and encourages the counting of objects.
Each double-page spread shows a different toddler-and-caregiver pair, with careful attention to different skin tones, hair types, genders, and eye shapes. The pastel palette and soft, rounded contours of people and things add to the sleepy litany of the poems, beginning with “Goodnight, one fork. / Goodnight, one spoon. / Goodnight, one bowl. / I’ll see you soon.” With each number comes a different part in a toddler’s evening routine, including dinner, putting away toys, bathtime, and a bedtime story. The white backgrounds of the pages help to emphasize the bold representations of the numbers in both written and numerical forms. Each spread gives multiple opportunities to practice counting to its particular number; for example, the page for “four” includes four bottles of shampoo and four inlaid dots on a stool—beyond the four objects mentioned in the accompanying rhyme. Each home’s décor, and the array and types of toys and accoutrements within, shows a decidedly upscale, Western milieu. This seems compatible with the patronizing author’s note to adults, which accuses “the media” of indoctrinating children with fear of math “in our country.” Regardless, this sweet treatment of numbers and counting may be good prophylaxis against math phobia.
The joys of counting combine with pretty art and homage to Goodnight Moon. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: March 7, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-101-93378-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2016
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