A starter set for grown-up Babar fans who want to introduce the classic characters to their children.
A simplified and condensed version of Babar’s Little Girl (1987), starring Princess Isabelle.
Babar and Celeste welcome the new baby Isabelle to their family. The elephant calf grows from an infant to a toddler to preschooler in short order. She plays with her friends, enjoys adventure and exploration, and loves to dance and run, but most of all, she loves her family. The title is deceptive, since this is not Babar’s story, and Isabelle is only a baby for brief moment. The slight, toddler-friendly text of no more than one to three sentences per page and the iconic, anthropomorphic pachyderms will hold the interest of little ones not quite ready for the length and, yes, the violence of the first Babar story. The companion title, Babar’s Lost and Found (978-1-4197-0981-4), is a condensed version of Babar Loses His Crown (1967) and is more faithful plotwise to its original text, revolving around a mix-up at the opera. While the text is longer and more complicated than its sister book, it is simple enough for youngsters to follow, and the cartoons are as fresh and accessible as ever.
A starter set for grown-up Babar fans who want to introduce the classic characters to their children. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4197-0620-2
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
It’s nothing new, but it’s also clearly heartfelt.
A love song from parents to their child.
This title will seem quite similar to the many others about parents’ deep love for their children. The text is wholly composed of first-person declarations of parental love, and it’s juxtaposed with illustrations of the child with one or both parents. It’s not always clear who the “I” speaking is, and there are a few pages that instead use “we.” Most sentences begin with “I love you more” phrasing to communicate that nothing could undermine parental love: “I love you more than all the sleepless nights…and all the early, tired mornings.” The accompanying pictures depict the child as a baby with weary parents. Later spreads show the child growing up, and the phrasing shifts away from the challenges of parenting to its joys and to attempts to quantify love: “I love you more than all the blades of grass at the park…and all the soccer that we played.” Throughout, Bell’s illustrations use pastel tones and soft visual texture to depict cozy, wholesome scenes that are largely redundant of the straightforward, warm text. They feature a brown-haired family with a mother, father, and child, who all appear to be white (though the father has skin that’s a shade darker than the others’).
It’s nothing new, but it’s also clearly heartfelt. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: Aug. 14, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0652-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an...
A little boy exults in his new role as big brother.
Rhyming text describes the arrival of a new baby and all of the big brother’s rewarding new duties. He gets to help with feedings, diaper changes, playtime, bathtime, and naptime. Though the rhyming couplets can sometimes feel a bit forced and awkward, the sentiment is sweet, as the focus here never veers from the excitement and love a little boy feels for his tiny new sibling. The charming, uncluttered illustrations convincingly depict the growing bond between this fair-skinned, rosy-cheeked, smiling pair of boys. In the final pages, the parents, heretofore kept mostly out of view, are pictured holding the children. The accompanying text reads: “Mommy, Daddy, baby, me. / We love each other—a family!” In companion volume I Am a Big Sister, the little boy is replaced with a little girl with bows in her hair. Some of the colors and patterns in the illustrations are slightly altered, but it is essentially the same title.
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an older sibling can do to help. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-68886-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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