bookshelf

COUNTING 1 2 3

Name: COUNTING 1 2 3
Author: Violet Peto
ISBN: 978-14654-7866-5

by Violet Peto ; illustrated by Liza Lewis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 5, 2019

Overly ambitious and too busy; the counting is overshadowed. Count this one out.

bookshelf

A counting board book illustrated with nature collages.

A row of 10 die-cut eggs across the front hints at the game within. Each spread follows the same format: On the left are a numeral, the number spelled out, and the word “eggs”; a parent animal guarding the eggs; and a one- or two-line riddle about that animal. Another hint can be found in the eyes or tails seen through small die-cut holes in the flap on the right. Lift the flap to find the answer along with a brief animal fact and sometimes another conversational question. Children at the older end of the recommended age range will quickly learn the pattern. Younger toddlers will quickly tear the rather thin flaps. The first five egg-laying critters are birds (flamingo, hen, owl, hummingbird, and duck). The sixth and seventh are crocodiles and chameleons, which are shown approximately the same size. The eighth, octopus, is a confusing choice, as the eggs are neither easily recognizable nor labeled (eight elongated, white ovals hang from a rock; in reality, there would be dozens). Nine is a tortoise. For 10, caterpillar eggs (again, not to scale) are shown on the left with the caterpillars on the right; the flap reveals 10 butterflies to count with no mention of the pupa stage). The final spread arranges all the critters on a number chart.

Overly ambitious and too busy; the counting is overshadowed. Count this one out. (Board book. 1-3)

Pub Date: Feb. 5, 2019

ISBN: 978-14654-7866-5

Page Count: 24

Publisher: DK Publishing

Review Posted Online: March 2, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2019

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS

- BOOK REVIEW
PEEK AND SEEK
by Violet Peto ; illustrated by Charlotte Milner

- BOOK REVIEW
IS IT WARM ENOUGH FOR ICE CREAM?
by Violet Peto ; illustrated by Victoria Palastanga

- BOOK REVIEW
MY FIRST OUT AND ABOUT
by Violet Peto ; illustrated by Rachael Hare

bookshelf

THE ITSY BITSY BUNNY

by Jeffrey Burton ; illustrated by Sanja Rešček ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 5, 2016

Leave the hopping to Peter Cottontail and sing the original song instead.

bookshelf

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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS | CHILDREN'S POETRY

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE DREIDELS
by Jeffrey Burton ; illustrated by Juliana Motzko

- BOOK REVIEW
THE WHEELS ON THE DUMP TRUCK
by Jeffrey Burton ; illustrated by Alison Brown

- BOOK REVIEW
THE ITSY BITSY ANGEL
by Jeffrey Burton ; illustrated by Sanja Rešček

bookshelf

SMILE, POUT-POUT FISH

by Deborah Diesen ; illustrated by Dan Hanna ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 7, 2014

An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to.

bookshelf

This simplified version of Diesen and Hanna’s The Pout-Pout Fish (2008) is appropriate for babies and toddlers.

Brief, rhyming text tells the story of a sullen fish cheered up with a kiss. A little pink sea creature pokes his head out of a hole in the sea bottom to give the gloomy fish some advice: “Smile, Mr. Fish! / You look so down // With your glum-glum face / And your pout-pout frown.” He explains that there’s no reason to be worried, scared, sad or mad and concludes: “How about a smooch? / And a cheer-up wish? // Now you look happy: / What a smile, Mr. Fish!” Simple and sweet, this tale offers the lesson that sometimes, all that’s needed for a turnaround in mood is some cheer and encouragement to change our perspective. The clean, uncluttered illustrations are kept simple, except for the pout-pout fish’s features, which are delightfully expressive. Little ones will easily recognize and likely try to copy the sad, scared and angry looks that cross the fish’s face.

An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to. (Board book. 1-3)