Though not a perfect offering, the “Spin & Spot” gimmick and animal-identification game will engage most toddlers.
Spin the dial to identify a variety of animals in different habitats.
Each double-page spread displays eight critters that live in one of eight environs, such as the suburbs (dubbed here “neighborhood”), a farm, the desert, the Arctic, and more. A relatively sturdy spin dial is embedded on every other page so youngsters can rotate the wheel and match small, one-color graphic depictions to larger, full-color images of each creature in the picture. A white band at the bottom of each spread includes a label for the habitat, a couple of sentences of text, and the repeated invitation to spot all eight animals. Reese’s art is clear and colorful, allowing for easy identification by toddlers. While the book has a nonfiction angle, the artist has taken some playful liberties in these scenes. A crab nips a fish’s tail for a tow through the ocean scene, while an elephant cheekily sprays a hippo in the savanna tableau. Happily, however, there is no sign of either a penguin or an igloo in the Arctic habitat. Many youngsters may be confused by the flat perspective and scale of these illustrations; a toucan looks larger than a jaguar in the rain-forest setting, a bear looks smaller than a skunk on the forest spread, and several creatures appear dangerously close to their predators.
Though not a perfect offering, the “Spin & Spot” gimmick and animal-identification game will engage most toddlers. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-545-78383-5
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.
A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.
Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
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Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable.
You think you know shapes? Animals? Blend them together, and you might see them both a little differently!
What a mischievous twist on a concept book! With wordplay and a few groan-inducing puns, Neal creates connections among animals and shapes that are both unexpected and so seemingly obvious that readers might wonder why they didn’t see them all along. Of course, a “lazy turtle” meeting an oval would create the side-splitting combo of a “SLOW-VAL.” A dramatic page turn transforms a deeply saturated, clean-lined green oval by superimposing a head and turtle shell atop, with watery blue ripples completing the illusion. Minimal backgrounds and sketchy, impressionistic detailing keep the focus right on the zany animals. Beginning with simple shapes, the geometric forms become more complicated as the book advances, taking readers from a “soaring bird” that meets a triangle to become a “FLY-ANGLE” to a “sleepy lion” nonagon “YAWN-AGON.” Its companion text, Animal Colors, delves into color theory, this time creating entirely hybrid animals, such as the “GREEN WHION” with maned head and whale’s tail made from a “blue whale and a yellow lion.” It’s a compelling way to visualize color mixing, and like Animal Shapes, it’s got verve. Who doesn’t want to shout out that a yellow kangaroo/green moose blend is a “CHARTREUSE KANGAMOOSE”?
Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: March 27, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0534-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
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