Artistry trumps technology in this introduction to fish migration and the variegated beauty on our rivers' banks.
A glimmering fish travels downriver, descending snowy mountains, rushing past lush woods and wide meadows, and out to the open sea, wriggling alongside changing flora and fauna all the while.
This fishy flips and flops throughout, swimming thanks to lenticular technology. She appears as a wriggling hologram within a die-cut hole that allows her to surface midstream on each page, surrounded by a new habitat. Tilting the book, angling it to quicken or slow the fish's pace, makes her journey interactive and engaging, particularly to young readers used to visual bells and whistles. While the fish's lifelike movements and holographic glossiness appeal, they also distract (and perhaps detract) from the accompanying wildlife scenes. These soft, matte illustrations don't jive with the flashy fish but rather offer varied painterly textures, detailed fur and feathers, and evolving landscapes. Tracking the new animals and the subtle changes in their environments emerges as much more enjoyable than the endless loop of a leaping fish. Simple rhymes pull readers down the river and finally out to sea, where the fish finds her glistening, golden fish family.
Artistry trumps technology in this introduction to fish migration and the variegated beauty on our rivers' banks. (Picture book. 2-6)Pub Date: June 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-84857-481-6
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Kane Miller
Review Posted Online: March 29, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2016
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
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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