Broach’s eager toddler is back (Seashore Baby, 2010; Snowflake Baby, 2011) to explore another season—this time, fall on the farm.
Spare, poetic text describes a toddler’s busy autumn day, beginning with: “Barnyard baby / Autumn day / Sweater baby / Let’s go play.” The sweet, dynamic illustrations depict an exuberant toddler decked out in overalls, sweater and hat cheerfully pulling a wagon toward a barn door. For extra fun, the red barn door is a flap that lifts to reveal a cow and calf. The second double-page spread presents “Wagon baby / Marching legs / Henhouse baby / Finding eggs.” The henhouse door is the flap here, revealing a hen and three little chicks. Baby proceeds to feed the sheep, jump into a leaf pile, pick apples, sip cider and chase a cat. Finally, the tot dons flannel pajamas and cuddles up to sleep with the little puppy that’s been a faithful companion all day long. Children will enjoy following the baby’s journey through the busy fall day and discovering the animals hidden beneath the large, easy-to-grab flaps located on each right-hand page. The endearing rhymes scan well and read quickly, a great combination for keeping little ones interested.
This well-executed, toddler-friendly board book is a great introduction to fall and a perfect choice for one-on-one or small group sharing. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-316-21203-8
Page Count: 14
Publisher: LB Kids/Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 14, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2014
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS
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Animal parents declare their love for their offspring in alphabetical order.
Each page displays an enormous capital letter, one line of verse with the keyword capitalized, and a loving nonhuman parent gazing adoringly at their baby. “A is for Always. I always love you more. / B is for Butterfly kisses. It’s you that I adore.” While not named or labelled as such, the A is also for an alligator and its hatchling and B is for a butterfly and a butterfly child (not a caterpillar—biology is not the aim of this title) interacting in some way with the said letter. For E there are an elephant and a calf; U features a unicorn and foal; and X, keyed to the last letter of the animal’s name, corresponds to a fox and three pups. The final double-page spread shows all the featured creatures and their babies as the last line declares: “Baby, I love you from A to Z!” The verse is standard fare and appropriately sentimental. The art is cartoony-cute and populated by suitably loving critters on solid backgrounds. Hearts accent each scene, but the theme of the project is never in any doubt.
Perfect for Valentine’s Day, but the syrupy sweetness will cloy after the holiday. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-7282-2095-6
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Jan. 27, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
Categories: CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The farmyard's chickens experience Halloween.
A round, full moon shines in the sky, and the chickens of Boynton's barnyard are feeling “nervous.” Pumpkins shine “with flickering eyes,” witches and wizards wander the pastures, and one chicken has seen “a mouse of enormous size.” It’s Halloween night, and readers will delight as the chickens huddle together and try to figure out what's going on. All ends well, of course, and in Boynton's trademark silly style. (It’s really quite remarkable how her ranks of white, yellow-beaked chickens evoke rows of candy corn.) At this point parents and children know what they're in for when they pick up a book by the prolific author, and she doesn't disappoint here. The chickens are silly, the pigs are cute, and the coloring and illustrations evoke a warmth that little ones wary of Halloween will appreciate. For children leery of the ghouls and goblins lurking in the holiday's iconography, this is a perfect antidote, emphasizing all the fun Halloween has to offer.
An excellent, rounded effort from a creator who knows how to deliver. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Aug. 23, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-7611-9300-5
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Workman
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS
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