I LOVE YOU FOR MILES AND MILES

Name: I LOVE YOU FOR MILES AND MILES
Author: Alison Goldberg
ISBN: 978-0-374-30443-0

by Alison Goldberg ; illustrated by Mike Yamada ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 26, 2017

A parent bear expresses their love for their cub through comparisons that will appeal to kids who love vehicles of all sorts.

Among other things, the parent’s love is “longer than the longest train…stronger than the strongest excavator…and higher than the highest plane.” In the seemingly digital illustrations, their roles vary, but whether they are cooperating or working side by side, giving direction, or coming to the rescue, their loving smiles light their faces (though their expressions are rather static nevertheless). “My love for you is / Faster than the fastest fire truck / Hurrying faster, faster, / Rushing to you, anywhere you are.” The illustration shows the cub dangling from a tree branch, the parent driving a giant ladder truck that is speeding so fast that none of its tires touch the ground even though it’s but mere feet from the tree. The title page shows the cub with a book under its arm, while the ending spread shows the parent sitting on the edge of the bed, clearly having read the little bear to sleep. While the vehicles will appeal, many of the spreads are quite dark and will be difficult to see in group settings. The adult bear appears to be wearing a bright pink skirt in three pictures, but many readers will miss this detail, especially since the bear lacks the eyelashes that stereotypically signal a female. The child’s gender is ambiguous.

Generic. (Picture book. 2-5)

Pub Date: Dec. 26, 2017

ISBN: 978-0-374-30443-0

Page Count: 34

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2017

Categories: CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

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Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it.

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YOUR BABY'S FIRST WORD WILL BE DADA

by Jimmy Fallon ; illustrated by Miguel Ordóñez ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 9, 2015

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 15, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015

Categories: CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an...

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I AM A BIG BROTHER

by Caroline Jayne Church ; illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 27, 2015

A little boy exults in his new role as big brother.

Rhyming text describes the arrival of a new baby and all of the big brother’s rewarding new duties. He gets to help with feedings, diaper changes, playtime, bathtime, and naptime. Though the rhyming couplets can sometimes feel a bit forced and awkward, the sentiment is sweet, as the focus here never veers from the excitement and love a little boy feels for his tiny new sibling. The charming, uncluttered illustrations convincingly depict the growing bond between this fair-skinned, rosy-cheeked, smiling pair of boys. In the final pages, the parents, heretofore kept mostly out of view, are pictured holding the children. The accompanying text reads: “Mommy, Daddy, baby, me. / We love each other—a family!” In companion volume I Am a Big Sister, the little boy is replaced with a little girl with bows in her hair. Some of the colors and patterns in the illustrations are slightly altered, but it is essentially the same title.

A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an older sibling can do to help. (Board book. 2-4)