Next book

MY DAD IS THE BEST PLAYGROUND

This late-night roughhousing romp speaks volumes about a father's love.

Whether through horseplay or a kiss, this hip dad physically expresses his affection.

He flings open his children's bedroom door, and the pajama-clad youngsters race to him with open arms. Daddy, dressed in jeans and a tie, throws his whole body into the play; he swings his children by the hands and uses his stomach as monkey bars. It's no wonder this son and daughter repeatedly express heartfelt adoration. “My dad is the best, / my favorite playground.” High-energy antics draw to a calming close; little arms drape over Daddy's back as he carries them to bed. Refreshingly, this dad is the sole caregiver in each scene, modulating from exuberance to somnolence with expertise. “He's as comforting as a snuggle / or a story that we've read.” He's also apparently relaxed in his child-rearing; a scribbled drawing on the wall (and lone crayon on the floor) receives no comment. Hazy, creamy backgrounds keep the emphasis on the personal interactions instead of the impersonal decor.

This late-night roughhousing romp speaks volumes about a father's love. (Board book. 1-3)

Pub Date: May 8, 2012

ISBN: 978-0-307-93090-3

Page Count: 26

Publisher: Robin Corey/Random

Review Posted Online: May 29, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2012

Categories:
Next book

THE ABCS OF LOVE

Perfect for Valentine’s Day, but the syrupy sweetness will cloy after the holiday.

Animal parents declare their love for their offspring in alphabetical order.

Each page displays an enormous capital letter, one line of verse with the keyword capitalized, and a loving nonhuman parent gazing adoringly at their baby. “A is for Always. I always love you more. / B is for Butterfly kisses. It’s you that I adore.” While not named or labelled as such, the A is also for an alligator and its hatchling and B is for a butterfly and a butterfly child (not a caterpillar—biology is not the aim of this title) interacting in some way with the said letter. For E there are an elephant and a calf; U features a unicorn and foal; and X, keyed to the last letter of the animal’s name, corresponds to a fox and three pups. The final double-page spread shows all the featured creatures and their babies as the last line declares: “Baby, I love you from A to Z!” The verse is standard fare and appropriately sentimental. The art is cartoony-cute and populated by suitably loving critters on solid backgrounds. Hearts accent each scene, but the theme of the project is never in any doubt.

Perfect for Valentine’s Day, but the syrupy sweetness will cloy after the holiday. (Board book. 1-3)

Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-7282-2095-6

Page Count: 28

Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland

Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021

Next book

YOU ARE MY HAPPY

Guess how much you’ll be reading this.

Parent and child share a day of small adventures and cozy snuggles.

That the two happen to be tortoises is totally beside the point. Die-cut holes and shaped edges turn nearly every page flip into a surprise. Following a parental “Good morning, Baby” to greet the youngling’s “Wake up, wake up, I want to play… / The sun is up, it’s a brand new day!” the two reptiles ramble off to munch on leaves, weather a sudden rain shower, discover a flock of butterflies, climb a hill, watch the moon rise, and, at last, weary little one perched on top, settle down to snooze again. The paper engineering is ingenious. Turning a seemingly arbitrarily shaped page with a special window framing a pink butterfly fills the spread with many jewel-toned insects; even though the tortoises never change position, the scene is completely transformed. Hegarty’s rhymed narrative features lots of tender sentiments—“Wherever you are, wherever you go, / Baby, I’ll always love you so”—while steering clear of any gender references. In Elliott’s peaceful, grassy settings the wanderers’ small smiles and shared glances likewise create a sense of loving intimacy. This is likely to become a victim of its own appeal, being as the paper stock is rather too flimsy to survive much contact with toddler hands. Still, a clear winner for sharing with audiences of one or dozens.

Guess how much you’ll be reading this. (Novelty. 18 mos.-3)

Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-7282-3509-7

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland

Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2021

Close Quickview