Bouncer’s story is busy and slightly confusing, but it’s pleasant enough.
Bouncer the bunny is a picky eater who knows what she likes in the latest entry in the Pick Me Up! series.
Five somewhat confused-looking bunnies star in a light entertainment for toddlers that might have been subtitled, “Quest for Carrots.” Like the other Pick Me Up! books, this volume’s pages are die cut to resemble a pet carrier, with a handle at the top and the hungry protagonist peering through a window. If the handle promotes extra handling and reading by kids, that is all to the good. The plot is simple: Bouncer is hungry, but, when offered hay, sprouts, and spinach by her rabbit friends, she turns up her nose, holding out for carrots. Fortunately for Bouncer, the whole affair ends in a picnic lunch complete with an enormous, crunchy carrot. Artist Hare (yes, Hare) creates collages combining stock photos, swatches of color, and simple graphics. The rabbits’ expressions don’t vary much, although one startling close-up of Bouncer bears a passing resemblance to internet sensation Grumpy Cat. The primary text is rhymed across two-page spreads, with awkward meter and inconsistent syllable counts from line to line and couplet to couplet. Bunny dialogue appears in word balloons; there are chewing sound effects as well. Therefore, the first reading feels a bit clumsy; caregivers may find that reading narrative, then dialogue, then sound effects works best.
Bouncer’s story is busy and slightly confusing, but it’s pleasant enough. (Board book. 18 mos.-4)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4654-6332-6
Page Count: 12
Publisher: DK Publishing
Review Posted Online: Jan. 21, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The greeting-card art and jokey rhymes work for the baby-shower market but not for the youngest readers.
Animal parents declare their love for their offspring through rhymed puns and sentimental art.
The title sets the scene for what’s to come: The owl asks the owlet as they fly together, “WHOO loves you?”; the kangaroo and joey make each other “very HOPPY”; and the lioness and cub are a “PURRRFECT pair.” Most of the puns are both unimaginative and groanworthy, and they are likely to go over the heads of toddlers, who are not know for their wordplay abilities. The text is set in abcb quatrains split over two double-page spreads. On each spread, one couplet appears on the verso within a lightly decorated border on pastel pages. On the recto, a full-bleed portrait of the animal and baby appears in softly colored and cozy images. Hearts are prominent on every page, floating between the parent and baby as if it is necessary to show the love between each pair. Although these critters are depicted in mistily conceived natural habitats and are unclothed, they are human stand-ins through and through.
The greeting-card art and jokey rhymes work for the baby-shower market but not for the youngest readers. (Board book. 6 mos-2)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-7282-1374-3
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: June 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
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