A playful and interactive introduction to Halloween.
Kitty wants to play with someone—but this Halloween, everyone is busy!
Kitty is looking for a playmate, but no one has time to play with her. Although she entreats a series of creepy-crawly creatures fit for Halloween—including a bat, a spider, and a crow—everyone is occupied doing what they do best. As the story proceeds, the side characters flap, spin, and caw their excuses, as Kitty’s face gets increasingly disappointed. Finally, Kitty asks a ghost—who, luckily, is always ready for a game of peekaboo, pun very much intended. Yoon’s endearing illustrations make use of a dark, rich palette appropriate for Halloween. The artfully placed text is set in a creatively spooky type, adding to the book’s holiday feel. The story itself is written in simple, playful language that makes excellent use of movement and onomatopoeia and invites children to respond to the illustrations well before they are able to decode words. The tab that moves the kitten’s sturdy, felt-covered tail at the top of the cleverly designed book is easy to use and will make both kids and adults giggle. The kitten’s increasingly sorrowful reactions are also a useful tool for talking to children about empathy and persistence, both evergreen lessons.
A playful and interactive introduction to Halloween. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: July 23, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5344-4342-6
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
Cute and sprightly but not a standout.
Deck the stalls?
A bevy of barnyard animals, a cat, and some dogs get fully into the Christmas spirit by sprucing up the farm with colorful decorations, including holly berries and sparkling baubles. They have a great time and sing while going about their merry chores in a manner somewhat in keeping with the rhythm of the classic tune “Deck the Halls.” (In fact, a flock of sheep are shown holding song sheets for it.) As might be expected with these particular celebrants, some of the familiar lyrics are altered just a bit; for instance, “boughs of holly” is “translated” as “cows and holly.” Adult readers expecting the rhythm here to work exactly as it does in the original will be disappointed, because it doesn’t—it’s clunky. This is merely a brief, lightweight spoof of the familiar ditty, so it’s recommended that grown-ups read rather than sing this—except for that final line!—to very young targeted audiences, who may be unfamiliar with the actual song anyway. Some fun is still to be had in the illustrations, however. The spirited, wittily expressive animal characters are depicted having a fine time romping about and producing a variety of onomatopoeic sounds throughout. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Cute and sprightly but not a standout. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-66591-435-2
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Boynton Bookworks
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022
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Exactly what readers want and expect from the board-book master.
Pookie and family celebrate Thanksgiving.
Boynton’s precocious little pig is back in this holiday installment. The family gets ready for Thanksgiving by baking pies, welcoming Nemmy and Boppa for dinner, and sharing gratitude (and pie!). Boynton’s familiar rhyming text and simple, thick-lined illustrations are exactly what readers have come to expect from this series: Pookie is a little silly, the story bounces along, and the artwork is warm and cozy. Though most of the action takes place inside, the passage of day is clear through the window, from daylight to the setting sun. Decorations and a tree with just a few leaves on it indicate the autumnal season. There are two pages where numbers are called out, presented differently from the rest of the typeface (Pookie and their parents prepare apple pie and one pumpkin pie, and there will be five guests at dinner). The only bolded digits are one and five, even though the text does mention that there will be a total of two pies—a stylistic choice that seems to point readers to counting practice but that feels a bit random. Overall, though, this is a worthy new story about one of Boynton’s most beloved characters. True to form, it’s a toddler-friendly read, providing context for the festivities and a sweet representation of gratitude. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Exactly what readers want and expect from the board-book master. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-66592-263-0
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Boynton Bookworks
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
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