A lonely “little mouse” whose only friend is the moon finds a kindred spirit.
This gentle tale has a simple narrative arc. Tired of their one-sided conversations, the mouse goes in search of a place to get closer to his friend, the moon. Lost and alone in the “wild wood,” he hears a voice coming from the moon’s reflection in a pond. Under the water, a “tiny fish” also talks to the moon. Mouse and fish chat through the night, each thinking the other is the moon. When the sun rises, they see each other and realize they’ve each found a new friend. The text is straightforward and simple, with a great deal of repetition. It’s set amid pictures that tell the story more effectively than the words do. Created with pen, ink, and watercolor and enhanced digitally, most images are black and white. Occasional gray lines add perspective. The characters are washed in pale shades of orange to brown, matching the endpapers. Color (the same pale orange and brown and some green) appears when they finally meet, in daylight. Alborozo's loose pen line neatly conveys the animals’ emotions, the gnarled trees of the forest, and the vegetation around the fish's pond, but the rippled reflections in the "small, still pool" aren't very convincing.
A quiet friendship story reminiscent of Kevin Henkes’ Kitten’s First Full Moon (2004) but not quite so satisfying. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-62779-224-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES
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A chunky board book about colors features photographs of dogs and incorporates many interactive elements.
Even the front cover of this title is interactive. Pull a large red tab, and a bulldog’s head moves back and forth as he chews on the shoelace of a red tennis shoe. Inside, further interactive features, rhyming text, and illustrations featuring cute pups and their adorable antics await. For example, the orange pages offer a collage of pumpkins, autumn foliage, puppies, and a cat, reading: “Orange the patch of pumpkins, / Orange the autumn leaves, / Orange the frumpy, napping cat… / that I chase up a tree.” One of the pumpkins is a flap that conceals the face of a precious pup, and another, larger flap hides a pop-up tree branch on which an orange kitty perches. Other pages incorporate some more noxious surprises, such as: “Green the swamp I love to swim in, / Green the summer grass, / Green the color of the air… / when my dog food gives me gas.” Pull the tab here to trigger a large green cloud that emanates from the back end of a suitably embarrassed-looking basset hound.
This ambitious, interactive exploration of color will be of particular appeal to dog lovers. (Board book. 2-5)Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4814-4986-1
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 21, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS
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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)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-68886-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
Categories: CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY
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