In a sweetly sentimental ode to motherhood, with a gently rhyming text, Bauer (Grandmother's Song, 2000, etc.) extols the virtues of Mom, as seen through the eyes of a bevy of animal babies. The infants' encomiums reflect the distinct attributes of their particular species; a tiger cub's mother is strong while a ewe is soft, and a giraffe's mom is "tall and tall and tall." Bauer's simple text is a celebration of the multitude of tiny acts that define motherhood: loving hugs, watchful care, goodnight kisses. Elwell's softly hued, pastel illustrations radiate warmth; slightly blurred images artfully reflect the loving bonds between mother and child, regardless of the species. Each two-page spread contains an accolade printed in oversized text on a delicately colored background rendered in a palette of twilight colors: translucent lavender, soft sage, luminescent blue. On the facing page is a full-color, full-bleed illustration depicting a different mother and child. Elwell's studies encompass an array of animal life, both domestic and wild, featuring docile sheep, howling wolves, and leaping kangaroos, culminating in a tender portrayal of a human mother/daughter pair. This reverent tribute to a mother's devotion also serves to remind mothers of the extraordinary way their children perceive them. An inviting tale: just perfect for cozy moments and quiet read-alouds. (Greeting card included) (Picture book. 1-5)
Pub Date: April 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-82267-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2001
Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own...
The sturdy Little Blue Truck is back for his third adventure, this time delivering Christmas trees to his band of animal pals.
The truck is decked out for the season with a Christmas wreath that suggests a nose between headlights acting as eyeballs. Little Blue loads up with trees at Toad’s Trees, where five trees are marked with numbered tags. These five trees are counted and arithmetically manipulated in various ways throughout the rhyming story as they are dropped off one by one to Little Blue’s friends. The final tree is reserved for the truck’s own use at his garage home, where he is welcomed back by the tree salestoad in a neatly circular fashion. The last tree is already decorated, and Little Blue gets a surprise along with readers, as tiny lights embedded in the illustrations sparkle for a few seconds when the last page is turned. Though it’s a gimmick, it’s a pleasant surprise, and it fits with the retro atmosphere of the snowy country scenes. The short, rhyming text is accented with colored highlights, red for the animal sounds and bright green for the numerical words in the Christmas-tree countdown.
Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own tree that will put a twinkle in a toddler’s eyes. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-544-32041-3
Page Count: 24
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
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BOOK REVIEW
A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character.
One of Boynton's signature characters celebrates Halloween.
It's Halloween time, and Pookie the pig is delighted. Mom helps the little porker pick out the perfect Halloween costume, a process that spans the entire board book. Using an abcb rhyme scheme, Boynton dresses Pookie in a series of cheerful costumes, including a dragon, a bunny, and even a caped superhero. Pookie eventually settles on the holiday classic, a ghost, by way of a bedsheet. Boynton sprinkles in amusing asides to her stanzas as Pookie offers costume commentary ("It's itchy"; "It's hot"; "I feel silly"). Little readers will enjoy the notion of transforming themselves with their own Halloween costumes while reading this book, and a few parents may get some ideas as well. Boynton's clean, sharp illustrations are as good as ever. This is Pookie's first holiday title, but readers will surely welcome more.
A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: July 7, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-553-51233-5
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Robin Corey/Random
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
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BOOK REVIEW
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