Cute but far-fetched.
A small elephant rejects bedtime; Dad is patient.
As this tale (translated from Spanish) begins, it’s night, and all is silent on the savanna. Daddyphant, blue, wears a small hat, and Littlephant, pink, wears a nightcap. (Other animals are cartoonish in form but in expected colors—surprisingly bright in the starry setting.) Though it’s bedtime, Littlephant wants to play: to gallop like a zebra and to remain “awake and alert” like a meerkat. Daddyphant never points out that zebras, meerkats, and other creatures sleep at night, but he counters by encouraging Littlephant to follow the example of animals like giraffes (“sleepyheads!” scoffs Littlephant), snakes (“boring!”), or hyenas—a suggestion that backfires as Littlephant begins to laugh loudly. With each suggestion, Daddyphant chants a lullaby incorporating that animal’s name, which will challenge readers with the uneven meter. Littlephant’s antics are disturbing the savanna but wearing him out, and he eventually falls asleep. At that point, all the animals he has awakened creep up on him and make noise, rousing him. With incredible self-awareness, Littlephant says no when they ask to play and instead chants the Daddyphant verse, causing the animals to instantly fall asleep. (Littlephant seems unaware of nocturnal animals.) The images are sweet, but the idea of a lullaby with such quick effects stretches credulity. And how many small children would reject friends’ midnight efforts to play?
Cute but far-fetched. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 24, 2023
ISBN: 9788419253767
Page Count: 48
Publisher: NubeOcho
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2023
A nice but not requisite purchase.
A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.
Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.
A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
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