An amusing anthropomorphic tale about exuberant parent-and-child collaborations.
Calamities occur when a young monkey and his father attempt ambitious projects in this picture book.
A bespectacled monkey and his father work on renovations and improvement projects. But Dad’s enthusiastic yet sometimes-careless nature causes a commotion. For example, he gets doused in paint and electrocutes himself connecting lightbulbs. Although the son is annoyed when Dad accidentally shuts off the power, his father says: “Only a minor mishap!” Father and son embark on a project to construct a treehouse so “Dad can build a room of his own!” They begin with a blueprint of a building on an extended tree branch surrounded by other monkeys’ dwellings. With dedication and teamwork, they make the place materialize. The son says: “It’s a breeze! And so much fun!” Although an illustration shows the treehouse looking messy (it’s askew and wrapped in yellow and black tape) compared to the other monkeys’ digs, father and son are proud. Featuring animated, active language (BANG, ZAAAPP), Brown’s story is a superb read-aloud choice. Parents and kids with their own joint endeavors will relate to the characters’ challenges and triumphs. Lin’s colorful cartoon illustrations depict the two monkeys’ spirited process. They include vivid details that emphasize construction, like hard hats and tools, and textures, such as wood accents. Clever additions have kid appeal, like a computer labeled “APE-LE.” The last spread is particularly joyful, showing monkeys playing on equipment, including slides and a ball pit on a tree.
An amusing anthropomorphic tale about exuberant parent-and-child collaborations.Pub Date: March 22, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-73774-470-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: 4 Blank Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.
A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.
Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it.
A succession of animal dads do their best to teach their young to say “Dada” in this picture-book vehicle for Fallon.
A grumpy bull says, “DADA!”; his calf moos back. A sad-looking ram insists, “DADA!”; his lamb baas back. A duck, a bee, a dog, a rabbit, a cat, a mouse, a donkey, a pig, a frog, a rooster, and a horse all fail similarly, spread by spread. A final two-spread sequence finds all of the animals arrayed across the pages, dads on the verso and children on the recto. All the text prior to this point has been either iterations of “Dada” or animal sounds in dialogue bubbles; here, narrative text states, “Now everybody get in line, let’s say it together one more time….” Upon the turn of the page, the animal dads gaze round-eyed as their young across the gutter all cry, “DADA!” (except the duckling, who says, “quack”). Ordóñez's illustrations have a bland, digital look, compositions hardly varying with the characters, although the pastel-colored backgrounds change. The punch line fails from a design standpoint, as the sudden, single-bubble chorus of “DADA” appears to be emanating from background features rather than the baby animals’ mouths (only some of which, on close inspection, appear to be open). It also fails to be funny.
Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 9, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-250-00934-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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