Stone and Czernecki's text and illustrations are in perfect harmony. Consistently surprising and equally delightful.
Bouncy verse and clever illustrations help teach kids colors...an ideal mix.
"Rainbow Shoes" is actually the title of the first poem in this collection of 14, each dealing with clothing and color: "Got a case / of deep down blues? / Slip on a pair / of rainbow shoes!" The funny closer, "What If," also uses a spectrum of colors: "What if you woke up covered in spots— / bright candy-coloured polka dots." Pops of color appear not only in the predominantly black-and-white ink illustrations, but also sprinkled through the text; names of colors are printed appropriately. The 12 interior poems focus on a single color to great effect. "Orange Socks" plays on the idea of the citrus fruit as well as the color and features a little boy staring at orange socks tumbling in a dryer. "What Do Pirates Wear at Night?" offers this answer: "pink pajamas!" "Please..." deals with a specific gift request: "Knit for me with care and love / one ghastly green and gruesome glove." "Purple Pants Poem" has a French twist; the girl wearing them sports a jaunty beret and stands near the Eiffel Tower. "The Top Thing in Toppers" features a brown cowboy hat that is really a tasty frosted cake. There are also punny poems about Dad's old white shirt, dingy underwear and a coat...of paint.
Stone and Czernecki's text and illustrations are in perfect harmony. Consistently surprising and equally delightful. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Feb. 15, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-896580-85-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tradewind Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 25, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2013
While there are many rhyming truck books out there, this stands out for being a collection of poems.
Rhyming poems introduce children to anthropomorphized trucks of all sorts, as well as the jobs that they do.
Adorable multiethnic children are the drivers of these 16 trucks—from construction equipment to city trucks, rescue vehicles and a semi—easily standing in for readers, a point made very clear on the final spread. Varying rhyme schemes and poem lengths help keep readers’ attention. For the most part, the rhymes and rhythms work, as in this, from “Cement Mixer”: “No time to wait; / he can’t sit still. / He has to beg your pardon. / For if he dawdles on the way, / his slushy load will harden.” Slonim’s trucks each sport an expressive pair of eyes, but the anthropomorphism stops there, at least in the pictures—Vestergaard sometimes takes it too far, as in “Bulldozer”: “He’s not a bully, either, / although he’s big and tough. / He waits his turn, plays well with friends, / and pushes just enough.” A few trucks’ jobs get short shrift, to mixed effect: “Skid-Steer Loader” focuses on how this truck moves without the typical steering wheel, but “Semi” runs with a royalty analogy and fails to truly impart any knowledge. The acrylic-and-charcoal artwork, set against white backgrounds, keeps the focus on the trucks and the jobs they are doing.
While there are many rhyming truck books out there, this stands out for being a collection of poems. (Picture book/poetry. 3-6)Pub Date: Aug. 27, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-7636-5078-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 28, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A testament to the universality of love.
An expanded explanation of love in both English and Spanish.
Several animal personalities pose the question, “What is love?” and in a series of lift-the-flap responses present various emotional scenarios. Little Elephant asks Spider, “Is it the joy of having you around?” Spider asks, “Is it the way you lift me when I’m down?” Each page corresponds to a flap that reveals one of a multitude of feelings love can evoke in either an English or Spanish rhyme, which are not direct translations of each other. An interspersed refrain notes, “Amor for the Spanish, / and love en inglés. / Love in any language / always means the same.” A palette of pastels and purple and pink hues dominate as hearts abound on each page, surrounding the characters, who are adorable though on the overly sweet side. The characters are from the bilingual preschool series Canticos, though it will work even among those without knowledge of the show. Children more fluent in Spanish will be better able to appreciate this, and those familiar with the show will recognize the signature characters, including “Los Pollitos” (Little Chickies). (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A testament to the universality of love. (Board book. 3-6)Pub Date: Nov. 8, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-945635-72-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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