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
Little Blue Truck keeps on truckin’—but not without some backfires.
Little Blue Truck feels, well, blue when he delivers valentine after valentine but receives nary a one.
His bed overflowing with cards, Blue sets out to deliver a yellow card with purple polka dots and a shiny purple heart to Hen, one with a shiny fuchsia heart to Pig, a big, shiny, red heart-shaped card to Horse, and so on. With each delivery there is an exchange of Beeps from Blue and the appropriate animal sounds from his friends, Blue’s Beeps always set in blue and the animal’s vocalization in a color that matches the card it receives. But as Blue heads home, his deliveries complete, his headlight eyes are sad and his front bumper droops ever so slightly. Blue is therefore surprised (but readers may not be) when he pulls into his garage to be greeted by all his friends with a shiny blue valentine just for him. In this, Blue’s seventh outing, it’s not just the sturdy protagonist that seems to be wilting. Schertle’s verse, usually reliable, stumbles more than once; stanzas such as “But Valentine’s Day / didn’t seem much fun / when he didn’t get cards / from anyone” will cause hitches during read-alouds. The illustrations, done by Joseph in the style of original series collaborator Jill McElmurry, are pleasant enough, but his compositions often feel stiff and forced.
Little Blue Truck keeps on truckin’—but not without some backfires. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Dec. 8, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-358-27244-1
Page Count: 20
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
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
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