Get toddlers ready for Halloween with this rhyming counting book.
Foil accents and layered, increasingly small die-cut windows invite young readers into a mildly haunted house. The windows are integrated into the Halloween decor on each spread, conveniently providing a way to easily grasp and turn the thick pages. The subtle shrinking of the windows by 1/16 of an inch with each page turn is disguised by outlining the windows on the recto page. On the cover, the windows are 1 ½ inch wide by 2 ½ inches high; by the time readers reach “9 sleepy cats,” the windows are only 1 inch by 1 ½ inches. The final spread with “10 trick-or-treaters” has no windows, just 10 costumed children surrounded by examples of the Halloween symbols counted earlier. The rhymes work so well even young children can supply the word needed to complete each couplet. The cadence is also consistent. Young children will notice the decorative parts of the pictures, but the objects to be counted in each illustration are clear. These are typical Halloween fare: a skeleton, jack-o’-lanterns, bats, ghosts, spiders, cats. Many children (and adults) will assume they should count four frogs until they notice the text that identifies them as “4 playful toads”—if they see it. On that page, the black lettering on a dark green background is particularly hard to discern.
This count is not a bit scary. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: July 6, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-66435-000-7
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2021
Categories: CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS
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Little Blue Truck feels, well, blue when he delivers valentine after valentine but receives nary a one.
His bed overflowing with cards, Blue sets out to deliver a yellow card with purple polka dots and a shiny purple heart to Hen, one with a shiny fuchsia heart to Pig, a big, shiny, red heart-shaped card to Horse, and so on. With each delivery there is an exchange of Beeps from Blue and the appropriate animal sounds from his friends, Blue’s Beeps always set in blue and the animal’s vocalization in a color that matches the card it receives. But as Blue heads home, his deliveries complete, his headlight eyes are sad and his front bumper droops ever so slightly. Blue is therefore surprised (but readers may not be) when he pulls into his garage to be greeted by all his friends with a shiny blue valentine just for him. In this, Blue’s seventh outing, it’s not just the sturdy protagonist that seems to be wilting. Schertle’s verse, usually reliable, stumbles more than once; stanzas such as “But Valentine’s Day / didn’t seem much fun / when he didn’t get cards / from anyone” will cause hitches during read-alouds. The illustrations, done by Joseph in the style of original series collaborator Jill McElmurry, are pleasant enough, but his compositions often feel stiff and forced.
Little Blue Truck keeps on truckin’—but not without some backfires. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Dec. 8, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-358-27244-1
Page Count: 20
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet celebration of the bond between a mother and her Pookie.
The eighth installment in this always charming series eschews the episodic drama and silliness of earlier outing such as Spooky Pookie (2015) in favor of a mom’s-eye-view celebration of her child and the time they spend together. There is, of course, nothing wrong with drama and silliness. But while the lack of conflict and plot in favor of unapologetic sentiment makes this book a quick read, that doesn’t make it any less endearing. The rhymed verse captures a mother’s wonder as she observes the many facets of her child’s personality: “Ah, Pookie. My little one. My funny one. My child. // Sometimes you are quiet. Sometimes you are wild.” On the simple joys of shared moments, she notes, “I love to go walking with you by my side. / I love when we sing when we go for a ride. // And I love just to watch as you think and you play. / The way that you are is a wonderful way.” Paired with author/illustrator Boynton’s irresistible renderings of a porcine mommy and her playful, snuggly little piglet, the result is impossible to fault. Whether quietly reading, running in a tiger suit, singing with mom in the car, ears flapping in the breeze, or enjoying the safety of mom’s embrace, Pookie’s appeal continues unabated.
An unabashed love letter from mother. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Dec. 4, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5344-3723-4
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2019
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS
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