Though flawed, this is a unique and welcome introduction to sumo and Japanese culture.
Count along with aspiring sumo wrestlers.
Textured illustrations of charming young Japanese sumo wrestlers are the highlight of this appealing board book. Whether wearing their beautifully patterned yukata, chilling in an oversized ofuro tub, or wandering a verdant Japanese garden, the children communicate a remarkable amount about Japanese sumo culture in these colorful vignettes. A clear and concise closing glossary gives just the right amount of information to help readers contextualize the featured Japanese terms. Though fairly effective as a counting book, the number 4, showing the children grooming “their chonmage styling” in front of mirrors, may confuse young readers. It’s somewhat jarring that the book jumps from 10 to 50 and then 100, though the sight of 100 children clustered on futons is an effective (and endearing) way to show a large number. However, much like the nine little sumo wrestlers after consuming the epic “chankonabe bowls,” the book feels overstuffed. Not only is it a counting and language book, but it also rhymes—sort of. Because of a strained rhythm and the lack of a pronunciation guide for the Japanese words that appear in the book, the reader will not know how to emphasize the syllables. A companion book on opposites is similarly delightful, though the glimpses of Japanese culture are a little more muted.
Though flawed, this is a unique and welcome introduction to sumo and Japanese culture. (Board book. 2-6)Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-63217-312-6
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Little Bigfoot/Sasquatch
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Sure to appeal to budding paleontologists everywhere.
Colorful, fun, and informative guide for pint-sized dinosaur enthusiasts.
Kid-friendly and more informative than most dino books for tots, this lift-the-flap dinosaur book is a great next step for any kid with an interest in the subject. Each double-page panorama—occasionally folding out to three or even four pages wide—is organized around types of dinosaurs or habitats. While most featured dinosaurs are land dwellers, prehistoric reptiles of the sea and sky appear as well. Dinosaurs are rendered in bright colors on a white background in a childlike style that makes even Tyrannosaurus rex not too terrifying. Make no mistake, though; the king of the dinosaurs is clearly labeled “CARNIVORE.” Folding T. rex’s head back reveals a black-and-white handsaw, to which the text likens its enormous, sharp teeth. Another marginal illustration, captioned, “Watch out! T. rex is looking for its lunch,” shows a Triceratops specimen on a plate. Yet another reads, “Crushed dinosaur bones have been found in T. rex poop!” Several racially diverse kids appear in each scene, like toddler scientists variously observing, inspecting, and riding on the dinosaurs depicted. In addition to teaching the difference between herbivores and carnivores, the book also conveys a sense of the scale of these prehistoric beasts: Diplodocus is two school buses long, a Triceratops adult is the size of an elephant, and a Velociraptor is the size of a turkey, for example.
Sure to appeal to budding paleontologists everywhere. (Board book. 2-5)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0809-2
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Templar/Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
A cheery board book to reinforce the oneness of babykind.
Ten babies in 10 countries greet friends in almost 10 languages.
Countries of origin are subtly identified. For example, on the first spread, NYC is emblazoned on a blond, white baby’s hat as well as a brown baby’s scoot-car taxi. On the next spread, “Mexico City” is written on a light brown toddler’s bike. A flag in each illustration provides another hint. However, the languages are not named, so on first reading, the fine but important differences between Spanish and Portuguese are easily missed. This is also a problem on pages showing transliterated Arabic from Cairo and Afrikaans from Cape Town. Similarly, Chinese and Japanese are transliterated, without use of traditional hànzì or kanji characters. British English is treated as a separate language, though it is, after all, still English. French (spoken by 67 million people) is included, but German, Russian, and Hindi (spoken by 101 million, 145 million, and 370 million respectively) are not. English translations are included in a slightly smaller font. This world survey comes full circle, ending in San Francisco with a beige baby sleeping in an equally beige parent’s arms. The message of diversity is reinforced by images of three babies—one light brown, one medium brown, one white—in windows on the final spread.
A cheery board book to reinforce the oneness of babykind. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: April 4, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-938093-87-6
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Duo Press
Review Posted Online: April 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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