SHAPES

Name: SHAPES
Author: Shanti Sparrow
ISBN: 978-1-76012-331-4

by Shanti Sparrow ; illustrated by Shanti Sparrow ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2016

Simple enough for very young children but intriguing enough for older preschoolers to return to even past their board-book...

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Subtle elements of design are used to introduce more than just basic shapes in this sophisticated board book.

Ten shapes are presented, starting with “diamond” and ending with “circle.” In between are both familiar forms and more-obscure ones: teardrop, parallelogram, stripe, and hexagon. The parallelograms are arranged in an attractive herringbone design, and the teardrops are presented as six-petaled flowers. Rectangles of different sizes are set at an angle. Layered squares encourage readers to study the page to find the basic shape. Intersecting circles are formed by concentric dots. Young children may have trouble identifying the primary shape in these colorful arrays. But on subsequent readings, and after being introduced to the concepts, older toddlers may see the parallelograms and diamonds between the six-pointed stars. The left-hand page of each spread presents a pale outline of the featured shape and its name printed in a shade predominant on the facing design. All are rendered in pastel hues of teal, yellow, pink, and light green, with detailed crosshatching, swirls, and patterning providing a visual treat and more to talk about. The exceptionally thick pages (each a full 1/8 inch thick) and a sturdy binding will help it hold up to repeat reading.

Simple enough for very young children but intriguing enough for older preschoolers to return to even past their board-book days; beautiful for all. (Board book. 1-4)

Pub Date: June 1, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-76012-331-4

Page Count: 20

Publisher: Hardie Grant Egmont

Review Posted Online: May 13, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S SPRINGTIME

From the Little Blue Truck series

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 2, 2018

Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come.

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK MAKES A FRIEND
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
TIME FOR SCHOOL, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S VALENTINE
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

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ANIMAL SHAPES

by Christopher Silas Neal ; illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 27, 2018

Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable.

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You think you know shapes? Animals? Blend them together, and you might see them both a little differently!

What a mischievous twist on a concept book! With wordplay and a few groan-inducing puns, Neal creates connections among animals and shapes that are both unexpected and so seemingly obvious that readers might wonder why they didn’t see them all along. Of course, a “lazy turtle” meeting an oval would create the side-splitting combo of a “SLOW-VAL.” A dramatic page turn transforms a deeply saturated, clean-lined green oval by superimposing a head and turtle shell atop, with watery blue ripples completing the illusion. Minimal backgrounds and sketchy, impressionistic detailing keep the focus right on the zany animals. Beginning with simple shapes, the geometric forms become more complicated as the book advances, taking readers from a “soaring bird” that meets a triangle to become a “FLY-ANGLE” to a “sleepy lion” nonagon “YAWN-AGON.” Its companion text, Animal Colors, delves into color theory, this time creating entirely hybrid animals, such as the “GREEN WHION” with maned head and whale’s tail made from a “blue whale and a yellow lion.” It’s a compelling way to visualize color mixing, and like Animal Shapes, it’s got verve. Who doesn’t want to shout out that a yellow kangaroo/green moose blend is a “CHARTREUSE KANGAMOOSE”?

Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable. (Board book. 2-4)