Sweet and light—but not very enlightening.
The littlest readers are introduced to a rabbit and a bird in this board book and its companion, respectively.
A big, round die-cut hole on the cover allows readers to see the title character inside. Cheery, pastel-colored illustrations depict smiling creatures in a garden. The white rabbit informs readers (via an uncredited text), “I like to go for a walk in the garden… / …where I find crunchy vegetables!” The conclusion of the phrase is hidden behind a die-cut half-page. Peekaboo die cuts are at times used humorously, as in “My droppings are round”—readers see the brown-colored circles left behind by the rabbit. But an accurate informational book this is not. Aside from arctic rabbits, garden-variety rabbits are brown and would never allow a human to pet them on the head. Reproduction is approached in a magical way. In one spread the rabbit tells readers: “At the end of winter, I meet a pretty doe.” Turn the page, and the next spread announces: “Here are our little baby rabbits.” Bird has a similar presentation in form and illustrations as its companion. The reproduction sequence, though, is a little more elaborate: “I meet a little bird. I am in love. / I am resting in my nest. / I have laid three eggs. / My baby birds are born!”
Sweet and light—but not very enlightening. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: March 6, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68297-331-8
Page Count: 18
Publisher: QEB Publishing
Review Posted Online: Jan. 21, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
Leave the hopping to Peter Cottontail and sing the original song instead.
An Easter-themed board-book parody of the traditional nursery rhyme.
Unfortunately, this effort is just as sugary and uninspired as The Itsy Bitsy Snowman, offered by the same pair in 2015. A cheerful white bunny hops through a pastel world to distribute candy and treats for Easter but spills his baskets. A hedgehog, fox, mouse, and various birds come to the bunny’s rescue, retrieving the candy, helping to devise a distribution plan, and hiding the eggs. Then magically, they all fly off in a hot air balloon as the little animals in the village emerge to find the treats. Without any apparent purpose, the type changes color to highlight some words. For very young children every word is new, so highlighting “tiny tail” or “friends” makes no sense. Although the text is meant to be sung, the words don't quite fit the rhythm of the original song. Moreover, there are not clear motions to accompany the text; without the fingerplay movements, this book has none of the satisfying verve of the traditional version.
Leave the hopping to Peter Cottontail and sing the original song instead. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-5621-0
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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