Plenty of opportunity for adult-baby interaction and early-literacy singing skills
Thirteen nursery songs, with hand motions included, to share with young ones.
Many of the songs are classics, a few more obscure, but each is delightfully illustrated with Stoop’s cozy warmth. “Down by the Station” features a bunny-faced locomotive, with rabbit engineer (paw firmly ready to pull the whistle), toting a train full of animal friends. The “Itsy-Bitsy Spider” makes its perilous journey as per usual, but Stoop’s elongated raindrops have hints of collaged text hidden in their shine. Other songs include “Pat-a-Cake” (with four-layer cake, topped with the letter “B”), “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” and “Polly Put the Kettle On.” The majority of the children featured have the same stark white skin as Stoop’s previous heroine, Red Knit Cap Girl (2012), though hair color and styles differ. The only variety can be found on the cover image (repeated on the rear endpapers) and in one interior spread. Stoop’s plywood canvas, with wood grain peeking through, echoes the aged, deep tradition of the songs, while the hazy shades of blues, greens, and oranges are like a snug hug.
Plenty of opportunity for adult-baby interaction and early-literacy singing skills . (Picture book. 1-4)Pub Date: July 12, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-8050-9904-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: March 29, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2016
Leave the hopping to Peter Cottontail and sing the original song instead.
An Easter-themed board-book parody of the traditional nursery rhyme.
Unfortunately, this effort is just as sugary and uninspired as The Itsy Bitsy Snowman, offered by the same pair in 2015. A cheerful white bunny hops through a pastel world to distribute candy and treats for Easter but spills his baskets. A hedgehog, fox, mouse, and various birds come to the bunny’s rescue, retrieving the candy, helping to devise a distribution plan, and hiding the eggs. Then magically, they all fly off in a hot air balloon as the little animals in the village emerge to find the treats. Without any apparent purpose, the type changes color to highlight some words. For very young children every word is new, so highlighting “tiny tail” or “friends” makes no sense. Although the text is meant to be sung, the words don't quite fit the rhythm of the original song. Moreover, there are not clear motions to accompany the text; without the fingerplay movements, this book has none of the satisfying verve of the traditional version.
Leave the hopping to Peter Cottontail and sing the original song instead. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-5621-0
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Toddlers are better served by a chorus of the original, accompanied by the finger motions
Yet another remake of the classic fingerplay.
Burton and Rescek need to find a new song to parody or, better yet, come up with something original. As in earlier remakes—The Itsy Bitsy Pilgrim, The Istsy Bitsy Bunny, The Itsy Bitsy Reindeer (all 2016), and The Itsy Bitsy Snowman (2015)—the words are meant to be sung to the tune of the favorite nursery rhyme. In this outing, the rhymes work, but the meter is clunky. Rescek’s characters are cheery enough as they celebrate the transition from winter to spring. The question is why ducklings should replace spiders. “Down came the rain and chased the snow away” is simply not as satisfying as “washed the spider out.” The elements of danger, pluck, and mastery inherent in the original song are missing, as are the actions. A scene of anthropomorphic animals of different species sharing a den confuses rather than enlightens. There is no clear change from winter to spring; the color palette throughout is bright and springlike, and the duckling is about as realistic as an Easter Peep. Sturdy board pages may stand up to lots of handling, but young children are unlikely to ask for it more than once.
Toddlers are better served by a chorus of the original, accompanied by the finger motions . (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 17, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-8655-2
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 13, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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