An engaging, thoughtful exploration of feelings—human and canine alike.
A dog experiences a range of emotions as they settle into their forever home.
Readers follow Finley’s journey from shelter pup to a loved member of a new family. When we first see the pooch, lying quietly in a cage, we’re told “Finley feels sad.” “Finley feels scared” when a gentle child shows up to adopt them. And on the car ride home, “Finley is anxious.” As Finley becomes more comfortable, the descriptions include “curious,” “playful,” and, eventually, “happy.” In a nice touch, Finley still experiences some negative feelings even upon leaving the shelter; Finley feels “grumpy” at having to take a bath and “lonely” while watching their new owner leave on the school bus. The story concisely and accurately covers a wide range of ever changing emotions, an important concept for little readers. The repetitive, simple structure allows caregivers to expand on the text and make real-world connections. In the appealing illustrations, Finley, a white dog covered in dark spots, is adorable but not anthropomorphized; rather, Waites depicts familiar canine behaviors and mannerisms to convey feelings: a “happy” roll in the mud and an eager, “excited” leap with a wagging tail. The child who adopts Finley presents White, and the only other human portrayed is a shelter employee with dark brown skin and black hair. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An engaging, thoughtful exploration of feelings—human and canine alike. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: April 28, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-7643-6565-2
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Schiffer
Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character.
One of Boynton's signature characters celebrates Halloween.
It's Halloween time, and Pookie the pig is delighted. Mom helps the little porker pick out the perfect Halloween costume, a process that spans the entire board book. Using an abcb rhyme scheme, Boynton dresses Pookie in a series of cheerful costumes, including a dragon, a bunny, and even a caped superhero. Pookie eventually settles on the holiday classic, a ghost, by way of a bedsheet. Boynton sprinkles in amusing asides to her stanzas as Pookie offers costume commentary ("It's itchy"; "It's hot"; "I feel silly"). Little readers will enjoy the notion of transforming themselves with their own Halloween costumes while reading this book, and a few parents may get some ideas as well. Boynton's clean, sharp illustrations are as good as ever. This is Pookie's first holiday title, but readers will surely welcome more.
A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: July 7, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-553-51233-5
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Robin Corey/Random
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come.
Little Blue Truck and his pal Toad meet friends old and new on a springtime drive through the country.
This lift-the-flap, interactive entry in the popular Little Blue Truck series lacks the narrative strength and valuable life lessons of the original Little Blue Truck (2008) and its sequel, Little Blue Truck Leads the Way (2009). Both of those books, published for preschoolers rather than toddlers, featured rich storylines, dramatic, kinetic illustrations, and simple but valuable life lessons—the folly of taking oneself too seriously, the importance of friends, and the virtue of taking turns, for example. At about half the length and with half as much text as the aforementioned titles, this volume is a much quicker read. Less a story than a vernal celebration, the book depicts a bucolic drive through farmland and encounters with various animals and their young along the way. Beautifully rendered two-page tableaux teem with butterflies, blossoms, and vibrant pastel, springtime colors. Little Blue greets a sheep standing in the door of a barn: “Yoo-hoo, Sheep! / Beep-beep! / What’s new?” Folding back the durable, card-stock flap reveals the barn’s interior and an adorable set of twin lambs. Encounters with a duck and nine ducklings, a cow with a calf, a pig with 10 (!) piglets, a family of bunnies, and a chicken with a freshly hatched chick provide ample opportunity for counting and vocabulary work.
Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-544-93809-0
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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