Too sophisticated for the traditional board-book crowd, it’s a handsome offering for older children who are ready to take a...
From “arch” to “zigzag,” an alphabetical catalog of shapes (and a few symbols) rarely found in concept books.
In the follow-up to ABC Color (2017), Chagollan and Arrhenius adhere to the previous format and remind readers that there are more shapes in the world than the standard square, circle, triangle, etc. The names of two shapes are listed on the verso (“ellipse” and “fleur-de-lis,” for instance), and on the recto appears an illustration incorporating the featured forms (a white, red-haired knight carrying an elliptical shield sporting a fleur-de-lis insignia in this case). Many of the formal, geometric names are used for the configurations, such as “lemniscate” for an infinity symbol and a “squircle” for a square with rounded corners, and may be new to grown-up and child readers alike. Arrhenius’ graphic imagery is pleasingly flat and simple, with keen use of nicely matched, muted colors. Unfortunately, the project lacks much diversity, as most of the skin tones are a rosy pink and never darker than a pale brown. The opening double-page spread depicts a beach scene and many of the shapes to follow; inspired readers will turn back once they’ve finished to use their new vocabulary. The final pages recount all the forms in a rapid-fire list for easy reference.
Too sophisticated for the traditional board-book crowd, it’s a handsome offering for older children who are ready to take a geometric deep dive. (Board book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 3, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-63322-514-5
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Walter Foster Jr.
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree.
A Christmas edition of the beloved alphabet book.
The story starts off nearly identically to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989), written by John Archambault and the late Bill Martin Jr, with the letters A, B, and C deciding to meet in the branches of a tree. This time, they’re attempting to scale a Christmas tree, not a coconut tree, and the letters are strung together like garland. A, B, and C are joined by the other letters, and of course they all “slip, slop, topple, plop!” right down the tree. At the bottom, they discover an assortment of gifts, all in a variety of shapes. As a team, the letters and presents organize themselves to get back up on the Christmas tree and get a star to the top. Holiday iterations of favorite tales often fall flat, but this take succeeds. The gifts are an easy way to reinforce another preschool concept—shapes—and the text uses just enough of the original to be familiar. The rhyming works, sticking to the cadence of the source material. The illustrations pay homage to the late Lois Ehlert’s, featuring the same bold block letters, though they lack some of the whimsy and personality of the original. Otherwise, everything is similarly brightly colored and simply drawn. Those familiar with the classic will be drawn to this one, but newcomers can enjoy it on its own.
A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665954761
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it.
A succession of animal dads do their best to teach their young to say “Dada” in this picture-book vehicle for Fallon.
A grumpy bull says, “DADA!”; his calf moos back. A sad-looking ram insists, “DADA!”; his lamb baas back. A duck, a bee, a dog, a rabbit, a cat, a mouse, a donkey, a pig, a frog, a rooster, and a horse all fail similarly, spread by spread. A final two-spread sequence finds all of the animals arrayed across the pages, dads on the verso and children on the recto. All the text prior to this point has been either iterations of “Dada” or animal sounds in dialogue bubbles; here, narrative text states, “Now everybody get in line, let’s say it together one more time….” Upon the turn of the page, the animal dads gaze round-eyed as their young across the gutter all cry, “DADA!” (except the duckling, who says, “quack”). Ordóñez's illustrations have a bland, digital look, compositions hardly varying with the characters, although the pastel-colored backgrounds change. The punch line fails from a design standpoint, as the sudden, single-bubble chorus of “DADA” appears to be emanating from background features rather than the baby animals’ mouths (only some of which, on close inspection, appear to be open). It also fails to be funny.
Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 9, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-250-00934-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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