Great for toddlers who are practicing counting.
Another well-designed concept book featuring the two slightly bemused friends.
Owl and Bird return this time for a counting walk. The slight story opens with Owl, carrying an open umbrella, and Bird on the teal-blue left-hand page and an invitation to readers to “help them count the things they see.” On the opposite, sky-blue page they count “1 / One rainbow.” Then Owl’s umbrella becomes a prop for Bird to perch on or for Owl to use to point out the next object to be counted. This pattern continues until the final spread, when Owl counts 12 stars on the sky-blue left before the story ends with “Good night, Owl and Bird” on the night-blue right. Every other page presents just the numeral within a circle, and the number and name of what is to be counted. The sans-serif white font displays cleanly against the blue backgrounds. Whimsical details in the illustrations (Owl’s pink rain boots, the two flamingos’ hats) do not distract from the primary goal of counting. And there is always the little white Bird to find. Despite the increasing number of objects per page, the design remains uncluttered and focused. Smaller objects are featured as their numbers increase, so there are three kites and five airplanes but eight spiders, 10 bumblebees, and 11 leaves. Finding the ninth apple is a bit challenging. (It’s under Owl’s wing.)
Great for toddlers who are practicing counting. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-80036-011-2
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Tiny Seed
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2021
Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come.
Little Blue Truck and his pal Toad meet friends old and new on a springtime drive through the country.
This lift-the-flap, interactive entry in the popular Little Blue Truck series lacks the narrative strength and valuable life lessons of the original Little Blue Truck (2008) and its sequel, Little Blue Truck Leads the Way (2009). Both of those books, published for preschoolers rather than toddlers, featured rich storylines, dramatic, kinetic illustrations, and simple but valuable life lessons—the folly of taking oneself too seriously, the importance of friends, and the virtue of taking turns, for example. At about half the length and with half as much text as the aforementioned titles, this volume is a much quicker read. Less a story than a vernal celebration, the book depicts a bucolic drive through farmland and encounters with various animals and their young along the way. Beautifully rendered two-page tableaux teem with butterflies, blossoms, and vibrant pastel, springtime colors. Little Blue greets a sheep standing in the door of a barn: “Yoo-hoo, Sheep! / Beep-beep! / What’s new?” Folding back the durable, card-stock flap reveals the barn’s interior and an adorable set of twin lambs. Encounters with a duck and nine ducklings, a cow with a calf, a pig with 10 (!) piglets, a family of bunnies, and a chicken with a freshly hatched chick provide ample opportunity for counting and vocabulary work.
Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-544-93809-0
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
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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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BOOK REVIEW
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