Board Book Review: You're My Little Unicorn and You're My Little Dragon by Laura Gehl, illustrated by Summer Macon (2/1/2022)

Quick Booktalk

Each of these two books likens a sweet toddler to a unicorn or a dragon by showing behaviors that the child shares with the mythical creature.

About the Illustrations 

The pictures in these books are brightly colored and cheerful. Rounded figures are placed against solid-colored backgrounds in a way that makes the illustrations feel clean and uncluttered. The left-hand side of each page depicts the mythical creature's activities, and the right depicts the child. 

Story Time Possibilities

These would be fun for a story time for babies or toddlers. Since the book is written from the point of view of a parent or caretaker, it would be a good choice for a story time where every adult/child pair has a copy of the book in hand. The repeated refrain of "just like you" in the text of both books also lends itself to some very simple audience participation. When I worked in the library, I sometimes did story times on the same theme for all of my age groups. These would have been great options for baby and toddler story time in the weeks when I did fairy tales and imagination with my preschool groups. 

Reader's Advisory

These are gentle little reads that are good to share at bedtime. I'm planning to give them to my twins, who have already learned about unicorns from their big sisters and will undoubtedly be interested in dragons as well. They will also recognize the toddlers' activities as things they do in their own lives and I expect those to present opportunities for them to practice vocabulary they already know and pick up some new words related to familiar situations. My little readers are just about two, but I think kids from ages 6 months to about 2 1/2 will enjoy these books. 

Disclosure

I received review copies of You're My Little Dragon and You're My Little Unicorn from Little Simon in exchange for an honest review.

Board Book Review: One Busy Bunny by Robie Rogge, illustrated by August Ro (2/22/2022)

Quick Booktalk

This board book shaped like a rabbit tells of an Easter bunny who delivers eggs to animals in a variety of habitats.

About the Illustrations 

The pictures in this book are infused with light and the animals have eyes that are just slightly exaggerated to make them look cute. The result is a very gentle and comforting mood. The pages are very short and wide, so the illustrations feel a bit cramped, but for reading one-on-one with a child they should be easy enough to see and understand.

Story Time Possibilities

Though the rhyming text in this book is pleasant to read aloud and flows well, the format of the books make it a poor choice for a group story time. I will most likely have my big kids read it to my toddler twins during Easter week.

 

Reader's Advisory

Everything about the outside of this book feels pretty sturdy except for the little fabric-covered cardboard clasp that keeps it closed. I expect that to be ripped off the first time a toddler touches it. The inside pages, too, are thin enough that even if they're not ripped completely out of the book, they will be bent pretty quickly. Some of my kids were careful enough as toddlers to allow a book like this to last a few years, but my current toddlers will definitely destroy it within days. 

Disclosure

I received a review copy of One Busy Bunny from Little Simon in exchange for an honest review.  

Board Book Review: Baby Bug by Wednesday Kirwan (1/11/2022)

Quick Booktalk

A little baby with wings emerges from under a leaf and begins to explore her world.

About the Illustrations

The muted colors of the pictures give them a feeling of Spring freshness that really complements the garden setting. Thick black lines outline the figures and flowers on each page, making everything stand out really well against the white background in a way that appeals to infants. The scrawling font appears a bit sloppy, but it is pretty easy to read since it so large. The baby is drawn in such a way that her movements feel realistic. 

Story Time Possibilities

This book is not a story time book for me because it includes a page where the baby passes gas. I don't read books to my own kids with that kind of stuff in them, and I don't really think my friends whose kids come to my story times really want me to encourage anymore bathroom talk than is already going on in their own houses. 

Reader's Advisory 

Other than the toilet humor, I thought the book was really sweet. I especially love the page where the baby is playing with a pill bug, and the text reads, "Holy moly, roly poly." I think that kind of rhyming language is just perfect for a book like this, The only other thing that I'm not sure works is that at the end of the book it's revealed that all the bug stuff was just the daydream of a human baby. That kind of reveal at the end is going to be totally lost on the intended audience for the book, and it's too much of a cliche to be amusing to parents. 

Disclosure

I received a review copy of Baby Bug from Little Simon in exchange for an honest review.

Picture Book Review: Mermaid Dance by Matthew van Fleet, illustrated by Mara van Fleet (1/18/2022)

Quick Booktalk

In this thick book filled with pull-tabs, a school of merkids learns to dance from the sea creatures it meets.

About the Illustrations 

The pictures in this book are very colorful and sweet, and the characters are a diverse cast of boys and girls of varying skin colors, but the real appeal is in the moveable parts that are activated by pull tabs. Each page as well as the front cover shows a sea creature moving whichever part of its body inspires the merkids' dance moves. For the seahorse, it's the tail; for the narwhal, it's the horn, etc. The tabs and the pages to which the movable parts are fastened are really thick and sturdy, which is what makes the book so bulky. 

Story Time Possibilities

This book seems like it will be really fun in story time, but I'm a little concerned about being able to support its weight and move the tabs at the same time. My story time audience includes my own kids, and I often call on them to help me do things, so for me, it might just be a matter of roping my eight-year-old into holding the book. In other settings, I'd be less inclined to want to invite the kids to pull the tabs just because it opens up a potential logistics nightmare where not everyone gets a turn and there are hurt feelings. I also feel like one rough kid could potentially destroy the whole book. I'm pretty determined to try it in my story time, but your mileage may vary. Potential themes include dancing, sea creatures, the ocean, and, of course, mermaids. 

Reader's Advisory

Though this book is technically a board book, I wouldn't hand it to either of my toddlers, both of whom are supremely rough on books. It's better suited to a four- or five-year-old who understands how to be careful with books and who will be interested in acting out the movements along with the merkids. My friends and I have several four-and-five-year-olds among our kids right now, and I can already tell they are going to love this book. 

Disclosure 

I received a review copy of Mermaid Dance from Paula Wiseman Books in exchange for an honest review.