Two little boy figures get together for a play date in a simple, repetitive text that emphasizes opposites. One page reads: “Turn it on and turn it off and turn it on again” and shows the boys pulling the chain on a lamp. The facing page shows their dark silhouettes with text only slightly altered: “Turn it off and turn it on and turn it off again.” The geometric, stick-figure illustrations with two eyes on one side of a face in profile and hair represented by several straight lines sticking up from a head the shape of a marshmallow are reminiscent of the drawings of a four-year-old. The mothers appear only as skirts and black high heels, lending the illustrations a retro feel. It’s short, sweet, simple, and made to appeal to a two-year-old whose greatest joy is to repeat endlessly his favorite activities until it’s time to “Go away and come on back and go away again.” Part of the Harper Growing Tree series that comes complete with “tips for reading and sharing.” (Picture book. 2-3)
Pub Date: May 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-694-01568-7
Page Count: 24
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2002
A sweet but not essential book.
A whole host of children presents a whole host of balls in this new installment in the Baby Unplugged series.
There are so many kinds of balls in this little board book. Big ball, shiny ball, game ball, plain ball, spot ball. And not all are necessarily balls. Some are round objects, like the snowball and the clay ball or the blueberry that is a “tiny ball.” Some balls are verb balls, like the “throw ball, / catch ball, / go ball, / fetch ball!” There is even a gotcha! ball that’s “not ball”—it’s a cube! And all these balls are being played with by an equally eclectic group of children. African-American, Asian, brown-skinned, and blond and brunette white children are all represented here in illustrations that are charming and clear but not particularly artful. It feels as though both author and illustrator are trying so hard to include so much that they’ve almost forgotten to have fun. It’s reminiscent of One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish but without the spark that turns an OK book into a timeless classic. Best suited for young children who are already quite verbal.
A sweet but not essential book. (Board book. 2-3)Pub Date: April 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-936669-42-4
Page Count: 14
Publisher: blue manatee press
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
A terrific resource for fans of Daniel Tiger and newcomers alike.
Animated PBS character Daniel Tiger helps readers tell time.
Mr. Rogers–like (explicitly—the show is produced by the Fred Rogers Co.), Daniel Tiger welcomes his neighbors, inviting them to spend the day with him and learn to use a clock along the way. A large clock face with movable hands is accessible through a large, die-cut circle in the upper-right corner of each double-page spread. The hands click and clack as they’re moved around the clock’s face, and the sound is peculiarly satisfying. Each hand has a different noise, helping children to differentiate between the two. Daniel and his family and friends do lots of things throughout the day, including eating breakfast, going to school, running errands, eating dinner, and going to bed. The illustrations emulate the show’s rounded, calmly colored style. Fans of the television show will be entranced. Daniel’s constant engagement with readers will spawn busy interaction, and the fact that this book covers a whole day makes it an excellent read right before bed.
A terrific resource for fans of Daniel Tiger and newcomers alike. (Board book. 2-3)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-6934-0
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Simon Spotlight
Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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