Youngsters will enjoy identifying the various vehicles as they play along.
A favorite preschool pastime—watching an assortment of passing vehicles—takes on a new eco-friendly angle.
From an apartment window, two children enjoy waving and saying “Bye” to the multitude of cars that come along their busy city street. “Bye car. / Bye another car. / Bye near car.” Once they leave the apartment in the company of an adult, their “Bye”s become more descriptive. “Bye grown-up car. / Bye baby car. / Bye big car. / Bye tiny car.” They continue their outing, and the noise and hubbub of city traffic increases. “Bye howling car. / Bye growling car. / Bye noisy car. / Bye quiet car.” Simple yet evocative language is balanced by equally minimalist drawings reflecting a hectic and harried environment dominated by the internal combustion engine, often with cars leaving remnants of exhaust behind. Rieley includes face masks as everyone goes about their business. Turn the page, and it is a new day that is greener, calmer, and more pleasantly quiet. The kids are out on another walk; they pass an e-bus, a light-rail tram, and a plethora of people riding bicycles. Gone are the exhaust fumes as well as the face masks. “Hello vehicles / greener, cleaner. / Hello!” Endpapers reflect the transition from fossil fuels to cleaner-powered transportation. The adult and the older child have olive skin and straight, black hair, and the younger child presents White. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Youngsters will enjoy identifying the various vehicles as they play along. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-78628-567-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Child's Play
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2021
Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own...
The sturdy Little Blue Truck is back for his third adventure, this time delivering Christmas trees to his band of animal pals.
The truck is decked out for the season with a Christmas wreath that suggests a nose between headlights acting as eyeballs. Little Blue loads up with trees at Toad’s Trees, where five trees are marked with numbered tags. These five trees are counted and arithmetically manipulated in various ways throughout the rhyming story as they are dropped off one by one to Little Blue’s friends. The final tree is reserved for the truck’s own use at his garage home, where he is welcomed back by the tree salestoad in a neatly circular fashion. The last tree is already decorated, and Little Blue gets a surprise along with readers, as tiny lights embedded in the illustrations sparkle for a few seconds when the last page is turned. Though it’s a gimmick, it’s a pleasant surprise, and it fits with the retro atmosphere of the snowy country scenes. The short, rhyming text is accented with colored highlights, red for the animal sounds and bright green for the numerical words in the Christmas-tree countdown.
Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own tree that will put a twinkle in a toddler’s eyes. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-544-32041-3
Page Count: 24
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2014
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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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