This joyful lift-the-flap adventure will inspire little ones to head outdoors to see if spring has sprung in their neck of...
Broach rounds out her celebration of the seasons (Seashore Baby, 2010; Snowflake Baby, 2011; Barnyard Baby, 2013) with this cheerful ode to the wonders of spring.
This time, the winsome toddler, still accompanied only by her little brown puppy, puts on her rain boots and eagerly heads out the door into the drizzly spring day. She makes mud pies, plays in puddles and discovers some wildlife: ducklings in the meadow, baby birds in the rose bushes and bumblebees in the flower beds. When she finally heads back inside, it’s to take a much-needed bath and drift off to sleep with her pup snuggled in beside her. The right-hand pages feature strategically placed flaps that reveal a key part of each pastel-steeped scene. The tiny adventurer is as adorable as ever, but the spare verse is not quite as nimble and elegant here as in the other titles—take, for example, “Mud pie baby / Messy hand // Puddle baby / Stomp and stand.” Nonetheless, fans of the previous volumes will certainly want this one to complete the set.
This joyful lift-the-flap adventure will inspire little ones to head outdoors to see if spring has sprung in their neck of the woods. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: March 4, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-316-23526-6
Page Count: 14
Publisher: LB Kids/Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to.
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)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-374-37084-8
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Peek, and you’ll find a rollicking romp here.
The favorite game of toddlers gets a dino twist.
A large dinosaur tries to outsmart a smaller companion when the duo play peekaboo together. The big dino naïvely believes they won’t be noticed behind or under sundry hiding places, but the little pal always finds their playmate. Young listeners will giggle as the large dino attempts to outwit the little one, but in vain; in every instance, the diminutive, overalls-clad dino calls out a triumphant “Peekaboo!” How come? Is it because thin tree trunks and a potted plant can’t conceal the large dino’s frame? Do the big dino’s bold, flower-print shirts stick out a mile? Even when the large dinosaur attempts an aerial hiding place, they discover that ruse doesn’t, ahem, fly, nor does hiding in a crowd wearing a Where’s Waldo?–esque red-striped cap and T-shirt do any good. In a display of good sportsmanship, the big dino concedes at the end the game was fun. The youngest audiences, all of whom will have likely engaged in marathon peekaboo sessions themselves, will undoubtedly scramble to play again. Besides stimulating playtime, this adorable board book, expressed in lilting rhymes, boosts vocabulary development through the use of some common prepositions (behind, in) and adverbs (here, there, everywhere). The illustrations are sweetly engaging; the round cutout on the front cover invites youngsters to play peekaboo games with adult partners and others. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Peek, and you’ll find a rollicking romp here. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 3, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-66592-840-3
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Boynton Bookworks
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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