Cute but no more than serviceable
Sliding board-book panels illustrate six different animal habitats.
Frost’s colorful, cartoonish critters feature in a guessing game. A question appears on one page: “Who is in the flowerbed, digging up the ground?” In the busy illustration, a rabbit, a cat, or even the worms could be digging. The page opposite each question expands to display the rhymed response and a full image of the heretofor partially hidden animal. (In the garden scene it is a spotted yellow pup.) The sliding pages line up perfectly when closed, but the animals don’t always line up properly when opened. The dolphin seems to be detached from its tail, and the lamb’s back legs connect to its body at an awkward angle. The cadence of the rhymes is sometimes forced, with words chosen because they rhyme, not because they add information. For example, the penguin says, “Cheep cheep cheep!” evidently because “cheep” rhymes with “deep.” Other animals to find include a tiger cub, chick, and bear cub. Initially the sliders are quite stiff but will loosen up with use, but they may not survive the repeated tugs and pulls of inquisitive toddlers. The book’s biggest weakness is that turning the sliding-page design places every other answer on the left instead of the right. This may confuse young children who are just learning that reading (in English) requires looking from left to right.
Cute but no more than serviceable . (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-6801-0514-8
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
The small size, a predictable winter adventure, and Boynton’s very toddlerlike character make this a fine stocking stuffer...
Seven years after Little Pookie (2011) first appeared, this popular piglet is finally celebrating Christmas.
“Oh Pookie! Come look! It’s beginning to snow,” says a maternal-looking pig. But where did Pookie go? Past the Christmas tree, to put on a snowsuit of course. Pookie’s ever cheerful mama is willing to go out too. After all, “It’s a magical time to be walking with you.” When she observes, “Our noses are frozen. It’s time to go in,” Pookie protests in typical toddler style: “But I’m not c-c-c-cold!” The next three pages highlight indoor holiday preparations—making paper garlands, baking and decorating cookies. The rhyming text mirrors the spare illustrations. A spidery type that emulates handwriting makes it clear when Pookie is speaking. Then “the doorbell is ringing. / Our family and friends have arrived for the singing.” The second-to-last spread shows Pookie, mama, and six other pigs—and Boynton’s requisite chicken—singing (“Con brio”), “MER-RY CHRIST-MAS! MER-RY CHRIST-MAS! AND A HAP-PY NEW YEAR!” Conveniently, this text is placed beneath the musical notation. Finally Pookie hangs a stocking and goes off to bed without any fuss, anticipating presents on Christmas morning.
The small size, a predictable winter adventure, and Boynton’s very toddlerlike character make this a fine stocking stuffer or an ideal Christmas Eve read to share with other little piggies. (Board book. 18 mos.-3)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5344-3724-1
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 15, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Leave the hopping to Peter Cottontail and sing the original song instead.
An Easter-themed board-book parody of the traditional nursery rhyme.
Unfortunately, this effort is just as sugary and uninspired as The Itsy Bitsy Snowman, offered by the same pair in 2015. A cheerful white bunny hops through a pastel world to distribute candy and treats for Easter but spills his baskets. A hedgehog, fox, mouse, and various birds come to the bunny’s rescue, retrieving the candy, helping to devise a distribution plan, and hiding the eggs. Then magically, they all fly off in a hot air balloon as the little animals in the village emerge to find the treats. Without any apparent purpose, the type changes color to highlight some words. For very young children every word is new, so highlighting “tiny tail” or “friends” makes no sense. Although the text is meant to be sung, the words don't quite fit the rhythm of the original song. Moreover, there are not clear motions to accompany the text; without the fingerplay movements, this book has none of the satisfying verve of the traditional version.
Leave the hopping to Peter Cottontail and sing the original song instead. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-5621-0
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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