This confidence-builder from Gorbachev may put a few bees in the bonnets of youngsters who feel a bit timid around the playground. Brisk pen-and-wash illustrations tell the story of two little chicks and their first visit to the playground. They take a small tour and stand agog before such terrifying marvels as the seesaw, the merry-go-round, and the swings. At each stop, young animals invite them to join in the merrymaking, but the chicks beg off by saying, “We’re just little chicks.” Until they get to the slide, that is, and they are issued a modest challenge: “We’re little too,” said the frogs and mice, “but we’re not afraid. Come on, give it a try.” They scamper up the ladder, but their resolve fails them as they view the great sweep of polished metal from the top. A helpful beaver tells them to hop on his tail and down they ride with a “whee” on their beaks (and their eyes shut tight). A playground act of ice-breaking support is a gift that any child can learn to give. Gorbachev makes the suggestive point without getting preachy, and her two chicks cut such pathetic figures that young readers will be rooting for them from the first. (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-7358-1541-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2001
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A hefty board book filled with ruminations on the nature of love.
While love is the topic of this board book, it’s the inventive gatefolds and charmingly vintage illustrations that readers will fall for. Brimming with sweeping declarations along the lines of “Love is / strong. // You have my back and I’ll always have yours,” the text sounds like a series of greeting cards strung together. It’s benign enough, but are most toddlers interested in generic proclamations about love? Some statements, like the ones on “unsinkable” hippos or a panda parent holding a cub “steady,” could introduce new vocabulary. At least there’s plenty of winsome critters to fawn over as the surprisingly sturdy flaps tell dramatic little ministories for each cartoon-style animal species. A downcast baby giraffe looks longingly up at a too-high tasty branch; lift a flap to bring an adult giraffe—and the delicacy—down to the baby, or watch an adventurous young fox retreat into a fold-down–flap burrow to learn that “my heart will always be home with you.” At points, the pages are tricky to turn in the correct order, but clever touches, like a series of folds that slow readers down to a sloth’s speed, make up for it. The book concludes with a gatefold revealing a vibrant playground populated with racially and ethnically diverse humans; two are wheelchair users.
Fun format; bland text. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4197-3153-2
Page Count: 84
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: Dec. 25, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2021
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS
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This title previously published in the U.K. takes a cozy look at all kinds of kisses.
Walsh’s rhyming text is full of cutesy rhythms: “Kisses on noses, kisses on toes-es. Sudden kisses when you least supposes.” Sometimes the phrasing stumbles: “Who likes to kiss? I do! I do! Even the shy do. Why not try, too?” But toddlers and young preschoolers will probably not mind. They will be too engaged in spotting the lively penguin on each spread and too charmed by Abbot’s winsome illustrations that fittingly extend the wording in the story. Patient dogs queue up for a smooch from a frog prince, cool blue “ ’normous elephants” contrast strikingly with bright red “little tiny ants” and a bewildered monkey endures a smattering of lipstick kisses. Be the kiss small or tall, one to start or end the day, young readers are reminded that “the very best kiss… / is a kiss from you!” Perhaps no big surprise but comforting nonetheless.
Although a bit on the slight side, this offering is infused with a warm, light humor just right for cuddling up with a young tyke or sharing with a gathering for storytime. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Dec. 20, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2769-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Nov. 20, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2011
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S FAMILY
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