A simple but very pleasant book about four animals whose rotten days turn around after an interrelated twist of events.
Henkes is a master of these ea...moreA simple but very pleasant book about four animals whose rotten days turn around after an interrelated twist of events.
Henkes is a master of these early narrative kind of books, and his pastel-hued watercolor-and-ink illustrations hit the right notes as well. A Good Day is likely to be a read-aloud success with pre-schoolers.(less)
Written in rhymed couplets with a refrain that just begs to be read aloud ("Llama, llama red pajama..."), Anna Dewdney's picture book deals with the s...moreWritten in rhymed couplets with a refrain that just begs to be read aloud ("Llama, llama red pajama..."), Anna Dewdney's picture book deals with the separation anxiety a young child experiences at bedtime. With the anthropomorphic llama family standing in for their human counterparts, Baby Llama's nighttime fears are raised when Mama Llama doesn't immediately respond to his calls (she's answering the phone), but an ultimately dispelled in a comforting, reassuring manner.
Though the book's cartoon illustrations are cute and children are likely to take pleasure in the language used, I did feel the narrative was a bit flat. Overall, it's a good picture book, but not a great one.(less)
Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale is a cute story about a little girl's first words that involves doing laundry with Dad and a lost stuffed animal. Wil...moreKnuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale is a cute story about a little girl's first words that involves doing laundry with Dad and a lost stuffed animal. Willems' mix of cartoon characters and black-and-white photography is an illustration hybrid I haven't seen before, and I think it works well within the story's "every day special moments" context.
While I'm sure children can see themselves in the Trixie character and the situation, I have a suspicion that this is a title that parents will like as much as their kids, if not more so. At any rate, the fact that the book has generated several sequels would seem to attest that Willems is doing something right.(less)
While I'm sure Trashy Town is a likely hit with young truck fanatics and those captivated by catchy repetition and bold, simple illustrations, I found...moreWhile I'm sure Trashy Town is a likely hit with young truck fanatics and those captivated by catchy repetition and bold, simple illustrations, I found the picture book to be somewhat uninspired. I really like the premise--a garbage man cleans up the town, stop by stop--and the refrain was fairly effective. I just feel like the authors could've gotten more silliness and fun squeezed into story. I think the fact that the illustrations are similarly solid-but-unspectacular hurts the book's appeal, too.
Trashy Town isn't a bad picture book--it's just sort of forgettable. (less)
A simple yet wickedly clever picture book with pitch-perfect cartoon illustrations, Mo Willems' Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! is a winning formu...moreA simple yet wickedly clever picture book with pitch-perfect cartoon illustrations, Mo Willems' Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! is a winning formula for children too young for the complications of narrative (and it should get a smile out of most adults, too).
In the book, a bus driver asks the reader ("You") to watch his bus while he goes off for a few minutes--with the specific (and absurdly funny) instructions to, above all else, NOT let the pigeon drive the bus. Of course, the pigeon struts onto the pages as soon as the driver leaves, using every manipulative trick he can think of to get behind the wheel.
This premise makes for a quick, absorbing read that's very silly fun. I definitely recommend it.(less)
Done in a charcoal and cream-colored palette, Kevin Henkes Kitten's First Full Moon (the 2005 winner of the Caldecott Medal) is a simple yet suspensef...moreDone in a charcoal and cream-colored palette, Kevin Henkes Kitten's First Full Moon (the 2005 winner of the Caldecott Medal) is a simple yet suspenseful book about a kitten who thinks the moon is a bowl of milk.
The book's use of repetition and simple-but-elegant illustrations would seem to make it ideal for those learning how to read or for introducing even younger children to concepts of plot.
Overall, a very cute book that parent and child should enjoy.
Jane Yolen's How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon? is a clever and capably-illustrated picture book that seems to be a great choice to read to kids if they...moreJane Yolen's How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon? is a clever and capably-illustrated picture book that seems to be a great choice to read to kids if they are sick--or if they just really like dinosaurs.
Written in rhyming couplets, the majority of the book presents a series of humorous questions relating to misbehavior when it comes to taking medicine, going to the doctor's office, etc. Ultimately, these questions are refuted by assertions that the best way to feel better is to let parents and doctors do their work.
Cartoon dinosaurs act as stand-ins for the child--all other elements come from the world of humans, even parents! The colors in the pictures are light but somewhat subdued, down a notch as if to reflect the feeling of being under the weather.
Overall, this is a cute book that seems destined to be a perennial favorite for pre-schoolers (and maybe even a little older).(less)
I found Eric Carle's Do You Want to Be My Friend? to be a very charming nearly-wordless picture book. Launched by the words of the title, the book's p...moreI found Eric Carle's Do You Want to Be My Friend? to be a very charming nearly-wordless picture book. Launched by the words of the title, the book's pictures--done in Carle's trademark collage--show a small mouse encountering increasingly larger creatures as he searches for a companion. One of the very clever devices at work is that Carle starts the tail of each successive animal on the previous page--thus creating a sense of suspense/surprise and giving children an opportunity to guess who the mouse will meet next. Carle also has a long snake body sliding across all the pages, which gives the book a degree of danger.
Carle's animals are expressive and colorful, and he employs a good amount of white space to avoid unnecessary distraction. Children have to be able to understand the constructs of narrative to fully enjoy the book, but I think it's appeal could possibly carry through the early grades of elementary school. I think it makes for an excellent book for children transitioning from being read to and learning to read themselves.(less)
Nina Crews' The Neighborhood Mother Goose takes forty-one classic Mother Goose nursery rhymes ("Hey Diddle-Diddle," "The Itsy-Bitsy Spider," "Little M...moreNina Crews' The Neighborhood Mother Goose takes forty-one classic Mother Goose nursery rhymes ("Hey Diddle-Diddle," "The Itsy-Bitsy Spider," "Little Miss Muffet") and illustrates them with bright photographs in various urban environmnets. The photographs, often computer-manipulated to fit the fanciful context of the rhymes, depict children of a variety of ethnicities and are simply composed so that faces and animals are a focus. The book is big enough for storytime sharing, but not so cumbersome that you couldn't read it with a child on your lap.
I think this is certainly a competent and enjoyable Mother Goose book, but I think the illustrations fall a bit short in conveying the fun and whimsy of the rhymes. At 64 pages, the book would likely be tough to get through in one session--though the nice thing about it is that there's plenty of easy stopping points and child favorites are sure to develop.(less)
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