An original idea that’s not quite road ready.
Four vehicle-shaped board books packaged together with three road scenes invite young transportation enthusiasts to play.
A police car, a taxi, a fire engine, and a recycling truck fit together like a simple puzzle in a cutout nestled in the bigger book. When the books are removed, the cutout is just a plain black space in the middle of the right-hand page. Pages that frame the cutout open to create three different wordless road scenes decorated with stylized buildings, animals, and more vehicles. Even though the book-vehicles don’t have moving wheels (just pictures of wheels), toddlers might be more interested in them as toys than books. Each little book has an introductory sentence (“Hurry! The recycling truck is almost here!”) followed by labels (“glass”; “paper”; “bin”) near the relevant objects in the illustrations. Some of the vocabulary is rather abstract for toddlers. For example, in the taxi book, one of the labels is “checkers.” The front of each vehicle makes a convenient handhold for toddlers just learning to turn pages. However, the plastic cover that holds the small book-vehicles in place doesn’t fit easily into the cutout and will be quickly lost, making this package a shelving nightmare. The cartoon people shown driving the taxi, taking out the recycling, calling on a police radio, rescuing a cat, etc., are various shades of brown but no distinct ethnicity.
An original idea that’s not quite road ready. (Novelty board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Sept. 11, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4521-6546-2
Page Count: 5
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 4, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2019
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.
A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.
Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Especially for fans of big trucks and machinery.
When hard work needs to get done, who’re you gonna call?
Young construction-vehicle mavens will enjoy this fun romp that takes them through a cheery bright-orange excavator’s typical workday: crushing garbage and loading it into a dump truck; helping with the installation of a new water pipe after the old one broke and spewed water through a city street; and digging a deep, wide hole in which to plant the mayor’s new tree. Through all these tough, painstaking tasks, the excavator “wears” an ever present smiling face, headlights standing in for large, bright eyes. Jaunty verses that mostly read and scan well narrate the brisk proceedings, and listeners are likely to want to chime in whenever the excavator’s assistance is called for in refrains such as “We need you, Orange Excavator!”—set in orange type, of course. The unfamiliar word excavator in itself should excite little ones because of its length, juicy mouth feel, and aural appeal. Kids will also appreciate the lively, though generic, illustrations; enhancing visual interest are several words throughout set in larger, colored capitals. The excavator’s driver is brown-skinned; other workers and passersby are diverse in skin tone and age. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Especially for fans of big trucks and machinery. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Aug. 23, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-20240-1
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2022
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