One doggone cute book!
Discover some exciting dog tales—or rather, tails—in this interactive board book.
New and future readers will meet a bevy of doggies as they figure out which tail belongs to which canine. The dog on the cover will have to share, as they aren’t given their own. Each clue is presented in a formulaic text block: “Don’t mix up my puppy! Her tail is spotted and dotted.” “Don’t mix up my puppy! His tail is black and velvety.” Readers are then tasked with turning a blue wheel in the upper right-hand corner of the page to find the correct tail—although once you’ve found the first, the others appear in order when the wheel is turned clockwise. The gimmick of the wheel relies on color and texture, with each tail made of furry material. The back of the wheel features images of the dogs, but these doesn’t align with the correct answers. The five internal dogs are identified on the back of the book—a silky terrier, poodle, Irish setter, dachshund, and Dalmatian, but the cover dog (which may be a King Charles spaniel) is never identified. The Irish setter tail makes a good pairing for the cover, however, so each canine looks complete. The book is charming, and the illustrations are delightful. The wheel’s solid construction assures that this one will survive many spins before retirement.
One doggone cute book! (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 17, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-66435-052-6
Page Count: 10
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: Nov. 28, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to.
This simplified version of Diesen and Hanna’s The Pout-Pout Fish (2008) is appropriate for babies and toddlers.
Brief, rhyming text tells the story of a sullen fish cheered up with a kiss. A little pink sea creature pokes his head out of a hole in the sea bottom to give the gloomy fish some advice: “Smile, Mr. Fish! / You look so down // With your glum-glum face / And your pout-pout frown.” He explains that there’s no reason to be worried, scared, sad or mad and concludes: “How about a smooch? / And a cheer-up wish? // Now you look happy: / What a smile, Mr. Fish!” Simple and sweet, this tale offers the lesson that sometimes, all that’s needed for a turnaround in mood is some cheer and encouragement to change our perspective. The clean, uncluttered illustrations are kept simple, except for the pout-pout fish’s features, which are delightfully expressive. Little ones will easily recognize and likely try to copy the sad, scared and angry looks that cross the fish’s face.
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-374-37084-8
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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