Five Holiday Board Books

Gobble, Gobble, Tucker! Leslie McGuirk. 2014. Candlewick. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Tucker is napping one fall day when he catches a whiff of something delicious. He knows that smell--it's turkey! And that means it must be Thanksgiving! 

I was not familiar with the character of Tucker before reading this board book. Tucker stars in several other books, mostly with a holiday theme (Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, etc). I can't judge if this book is better or worse or about the same as the rest of the series. It is enjoyable enough for what it is: a story of a dog patiently and sometimes not so patiently waiting for a feast of his own to share with his visiting cousins.

Maisy's Christmas Tree. Lucy Cousins.  2014. Candlewick. 16 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Maisy and her friends are decorating her Christmas tree. Cyril puts on the lights. Tallulah adds pretty ornaments.

If you have a little one who loves Maisy and her friends, this tree-shaped board book might make a good before-Christmas present. (I do not believe in giving Christmas books as presents ON Christmas day.) In this Maisy book, Maisy is celebrating Christmas with her closest friends: Cyril, Tallulah, Charley, and Eddie. The book is simple and short. By the end of the book, the tree is all decorated, and the presents are all wrapped. If you expect Maisy books to have an actual plot, you might be disappointed. But if you love her for her simplicity and familiarity, then you will enjoy this one too. It's a fine addition to a very long series.

Little Blue Truck's Christmas. Alice Schertle. Illustrated by Jill McElmurry. 2014. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 24 pages. [Source: Review copy]

"Beep! Beep! Beep!" 
December's here! 
Little Blue Truck is full of cheer.
Every Christmas, Little Blue has a delivery job to do. 
Five trees ready to take ride. How many trees will fit inside?

I believe this is Little Blue Truck's third book. He was first introduced to readers in Little Blue Truck and Little Blue Truck Leads The Way.

Little Blue Truck has a job to do. He is delivering Christmas trees. He has one tree for each of his friends. He delivers four trees to his friends. He keeps the last tree for himself. The last page of this book features colored twinkle lights on the tree.

It's enjoyable enough. I think the twinkle lights may appeal to some. If your little one loves Little Blue Truck already, then, this one may definitely be worth seeking out.

 Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel! A Sing-along book! Illustrated by Shahar Kober. 2014. Scholastic. 12 pages. [Source: Review copy]

I have a little dreidel. I made it out of clay. 
And when it's dry and ready, then dreidel I shall play!
My dreidel's always playful.
It loves to dance and spin!

A dreidel-shaped board book of the classic song. Each spread introduces readers to an animal family celebrating Hanukkah. Raccoons. Beavers. Mice. Owls. Bears. Various traditions are shown in the illustrations, but the text itself is just the song.

Eight Jolly Reindeer. Ilanit Oliver. Illustrated by Jacqueline Rogers. 2014. Scholastic. 16 pages. [Source: Review copy]



Eight jolly reindeer stretching up to heaven.
Up goes Dasher and then there are....
Seven jolly reindeer start their kicks.
Up goes Dancer and then there are...
Six jolly reindeer learning how to drive.
Up goes Prancer and then there are...

Another shaped-board book. This one is all about Santa's reindeer. It's a counting book. Little Blue Truck's Christmas was a counting book also focused on subtraction. (Counting down from five to one). But. This book is much more entertaining, in my opinion. The rhythm and rhyme work well to make this a fun story to share with little ones. I will admit that this one does have glitter, a bit too much glitter. But despite the glitter, I found myself liking it.


© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Four 2014 Board Books

Open Wide. Stephen Krensky. Illustrated by James Burks. 2014. Scholastic. 14 pages. [Source: Review copy]

 Time for dinner, Sam. You must be hungry. Open wide for the airplane. Pay attention, Sam. There's a lot of good food on board. 

Two frustrated parents try their best to get their son, Sam, to eat his dinner. I'm not sure which parent has the "easy" role in this one: Mom with the spoon, or Dad with his crazy antics. Sam is not impressed enough, I suppose, by Dad's antics to open wide enough for Mom to slip in the spoon. Will the two give up? Should the two give up? Will Sam's dinner go into Sam?

I liked this one okay. The Dad is certainly silly. And both Mom and Dad are persistent and frustrated. But I didn't love the illustrations. (I liked them okay. But I didn't LOVE them.)

Can You Say It Too? Roar! Roar! Sebastien Braun. 2014. Candlewick. 10 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Who's that behind the bush? It's a friendly lion! Roar! Roar!
Who's that in the treetops? It's a tall giraffe! Munch! Munch!

Does your little one love to make animal sounds? Does your little one love to lift flaps in books? Then this new series in the Nosy Crow line might be a good match. The books are simple, very simple. There are only a few words per page making this one a good choice for little listeners with short attention spans. It can also be an interactive experience if you encourage your little one to join in on making all the sounds. I will say that this probably isn't the best in the series for actual animal sounds. The animals featured are lion (great choice), giraffe, hippo, crocodile, and elephant (great choice).

 Earlier in the year, I reviewed two books in this series. Can You Say It Too? Moo! Moo! And Can You Say It Too? Woof! Woof!

Can You Say It Too? Growl! Growl!  Sebastien Braun. 2014. Candlewick. 10 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Who's that behind the rock? A hungry bear! Growl! Growl!
Who's that among the flowers? It's a pretty parrot! Squawk! Squawk!

This is the fourth book in Nosy Crows' Can You Say It, Too? series. This series is great for little ones who love animal sounds. Also there is a big (seemingly sturdy) flap to lift for each page. All the animals are hiding, of course! Which animals can little ones find in this book? A bear! A parrot! A snake! A monkey! A tiger. You can guess based on this selection, that reading it aloud will be a treat. Plenty of opportunities to get loud and play!

Bizzy Bear's Big Building Book. Benji Davies. 2014. Candlewick. 8 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Bizzy Bear has an exciting building project to do today! First he makes sure he has all the tools he needs. Then he gets started with some measuring.

Bizzy Bear and three of his friends, Eric, Rosie, and Freddy, are all busy building something. When the project is finished, they'll all be able to enjoy it. But building can be fun too. This one is an interactive book for little ones. Little ones can measure with the tape measure. They can saw wood. They can use a drill. They can paint. The book itself seems sturdy. There are a few flaps--some of the smaller flaps--that seem a little less durable than the rest. But for the most part, I think this one was designed to be played with by the target audience.

I liked this one.

© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Two 2014 Board Books

Honk, Honk! Baa, Baa! Petr Horacek. 2014. Candlewick. 16 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Hee-haw, hee-haw says the donkey.
Baa, baa says the sheep.
Oink, oink says the pig. 

Petr Horacek's Honk, Honk! Baa, Baa! is a very simple, very bright board book for young ones. Each page focuses on a farm animal and the sound it makes. This one offers a bit of a surprise at the end.

There are plenty of farm board books for little ones. This one has good illustrations. My personal favorite will probably always remain Dorothea Deprisco's Pig-a-Boo! A Farmyard Peekaboo book. Do YOU have a favorite?

Five Hungry Pandas. A Count and Crunch Book. Alexis Barad-Cutler. Illustrated by Kyle Poling. 2014. Scholastic. 10 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Chomp!
1 Hungry panda eats something yummy.
But 4 hungry pandas still need to fill their tummies!
Chew! Chew!
2 Hungry pandas pick something to munch.
But 3 hungry pandas still want their lunch!

I love this one. I love, love, love it. I love the problem solving, the counting. I love that it shows (some of) the ways to get to five. (1+4, 2+3, 3+2, 4+1) In a way, it's very simple, but, in another it's quite clever! It surprised me completely. I wasn't expecting to love it!

© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Three New-ish Board Books

Hide and Seek Harry Around the House. Kenny Harrison. 2014. Candlewick. 20 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Harry is our best friend. Hide-and-seek is always on his mind. He tries so hard to hide--and he thinks he's tough to find. Is he in the kitchen?

I enjoyed this one! Harry is a hippo who loves, loves, loves to play hide and seek with his friends. In this adventure, Harry and the little boy and girl who love him are playing hide and seek around the house. Harry has many hiding places, but he always seems oh-so-easy to find!

I liked this one. I liked the art. It was very cute. I think one of my favorites was seeing Harry hiding up a tree in the yard!

Hide and Seek Harry At the Beach. Kenny Harrison. 2014. Candlewick 20 pages. [Source: Review copy]

At the beach with Harry...we play hide-and-seek! While Harry goes to hide, we promise not to peek. Is he on the sand dunes? Is he in the sea? Where, oh, where can Harry be?

I enjoyed this one! This time Harry and his friends are at the beach playing together. Harry loves, loves, loves to play hide and seek, even at the beach! Here he has an almost endless amount of places to hide. Will he do a better job of hiding in this adventure? One thing is for certain, Harry and his friends will always enjoy being together!

I liked this one. These two books are good fun. I definitely recommend them both.

Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree. Eileen Christelow. 1991/2014. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 12 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Five little monkeys and their mama walk down to the river for a picnic supper. Mama spreads out a blanket and settles down for a snooze...while five little monkeys climb a tree to watch Mr. Crocodile. 
Five little monkeys, sitting in a tree, tease Mr. Crocodile, "Can't cat me!"
Along comes Mr. Crocodile...
SNAP!

I like this one. I'm not sure I love it. There are so very many books in this series, some worth reading again and again, and others not so much. This one is fun, and it stars Mr. Crocodile. The part I enjoyed best in this story is Mr. Crocodile's snapping! As you've probably guessed this is repeated again and again until there are no more monkeys left to tease them. But. Careful readers, really careful readers who pay attention to every single detail in the illustrations, will guess before the big reveal, that all the monkeys are safe after all.

Do you have a favorite book in this series?

© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Five New Board Books

Peppa Pig: My Mommy. 2014. Scholastic. 16 pages. [Source: Review copy]

My name is Peppa, and this book is all about my mommy, Mummy Pig! She is the best mommy in the whole wide world! And the prettiest. My mommy is very graceful--like a ballerina..except when it comes to picking blackberries. My mommy can be very serious...but sometimes she can be silly, too! 

 I love, love, love, LOVE this Peppa Pig board book. I do. If you enjoy the television show, chances are you'll be just as giddy to see this one release in time for Mother's Day. (Though I must say, it can be read EVERY DAY of the year. There's no reason to limit it!)

This board book stars Mummy Pig, Daddy Pig, and Peppa and George. Readers very familiar with the show may recognize references to certain episodes. The book is very sweet and funny.

Best Friends Pretend. Linda Leopold Strauss. Illustrated by Lynn Munsinger. 2014. 14 pages. [Source: Review copy]

I love to play with my best friend. Our favorite game is Let's Pretend...
Let's play... Ice Cream Truck!
You drive the truck.
I'll ring the bell.
"It's ice cream time!"
the kids will yell.
One scoop, two scoops, three scoops, four...
If one falls off, we'll give them more!

This book celebrates creative play and friendship. Despite the pink glittery cover, the book is much better than you might suppose. (In case you're "allergic" to glitter-y, princess-y books.) Each two page spread is a different "let's pretend." They pretend to be an ice cream truck; they pretend to be princesses; they pretend to be superheroes; they pretend to be astronauts; they pretend to be explorers; they pretend to be grown-ups.

I like this one. I do. I had my doubts. Glitter doesn't say read me, read me. It just doesn't. But I liked that this one shows two girls--two best friends--playing together. I liked the variety. Yes, they play princess which is typical or stereotypical--take your pick. But the other choices more than make up for it! And if your little one happens to LOVE playing princess, this one has some obvious appeal working in its favor.

Who Can Jump? Sebastien Braun. 2014. Candlewick. 14 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Who can jump? A cat can jump.
Who can jump? A frog can jump.
Who can jump? A squirrel can jump.

What a fun lift-the-flap board book! I really enjoyed this one. It is very simple. It asks one question, and only one question: who can jump. The answers vary, of course, spread by spread. Frogs. Dogs. Cats. Squirrels. Kangaroos. And, don't forget kids like YOU."Lifting" the flap shows the jumping action.

I like the simplicity. I like the boldness. I found the illustrations to be bright and bold and charming.

This one was originally published in the UK in 2012. It is newly published in the US this spring.

Who Can Swim? Sebastien Braun. 2014. Candlewick. 14 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Who can swim? A fish can swim.
Who can swim? Penguins can swim.
Who can swim? A seal can swim.

I think I loved Who Can Swim? even more than Who Can Jump? I definitely enjoyed both lift-the-flap books. In Who Can Swim? I love how the flap reveals the answer. The flap is the ocean on almost every page. Most of the time readers get a good hint or clue about what the flap will reveal. The whale, perhaps, being the MOST obvious. Again, the book is simple. The question is the same on each spread. Readers learn that fish, penguins, seals, polar bears, and whales all swim. The last page, you might have guessed, shows that kids (like you) can swim too.

Again, I like the illustrations. I think they make this one work. Who Can Swim? was originally published in the UK in 2012. It is newly published this spring in the US.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Beatrix Potter. Illustrated by David McPhail. Text from 1902. Illustrations from 1986. Board book format 2014. Scholastic. 28 pages.

Once upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were--Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail, and Peter. They lived with their mother in a sandbank, underneath the root of a very big fir tree. 
"Now, my dears," said old Mrs. Rabbit one morning, "you may go into the fields or down the lane, but don't go into Mr. McGregor's garden: your father had an accident there; he was put in a pie by Mrs. McGregor.

This board book offers readers the original text by Beatrix Potter with new--or relatively new--illustrations by David McPhail. The story itself is lovely; it is everything it should be. It is a rich story. I love the writing. I love the language. It's just a good, entertaining story.

The illustrations. Well. They are not the original obviously. For readers who love and adore the original illustrations by Beatrix Potter, I'm not sure that McPhail's illustrations will satisfy in any way. For readers with less of an attachment, these new illustrations may work just as well. For readers meeting Peter Rabbit for the first time, I don't think the illustrations would be a big issue at all. Personally. I don't care for David McPhail's illustrations in this book. 

© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Six Board Books

Toot. Leslie Patricelli. 2014. Candlewick Press. 24 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Toot
Oh.
I tooted!
Toot
Toot
Toot
I'm a train!

I love, love, love Leslie Patricelli's baby board books. I do. There are so many to choose from: Yummy Yucky; Baby Happy, Baby Sad; Quiet Loud; Huggy Kissy; Potty; Tubby; Faster! Faster!; Higher! Higher!; No No Yes Yes; The Birthday Box; Big Little; Blankie; Binky; Fa La La. It would be hard to choose a true favorite. Because there is something about each one that has again, again kid appeal. There's not much to say about Toot, one of the newest books. "I don't know if Kitty toots or if Fishy toots. But I KNOW Doggy toots." AND "I toot in the tubby. It's so bubbly!" This one probably won't be a favorite with me. But I don't think I'm the target audience!

Tickle. Leslie Patricelli. 2014. Candlewick Press. 26 pages. [Source: Review copy]

I am not ticklish!
Grrr
Uh-oh.
TICKLE MONSTER!
Weeee!
Eeek!
Ahhhh!
Gotcha!
I am NOT ticklish!
Except for my legs!

I said earlier that it would be hard to choose a true favorite by Leslie Patricelli. Tickle comes closest perhaps to being a favorite of mine. I ADORE this one. I do. I love, love, love it. It's fun and playful. I think it has great again-again-again appeal! I think there are people who love to be tickle, and people who love to BE tickled. I think this appeals to both!

A Birthday for Cow. Jan Thomas. 2008/2014. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 36 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Today is Cow's birthday...
Toot!
Yippee!
Pig and Mouse are going to make Cow the best birthday cake ever!
They put flour and sugar and eggs in a big bowl.
And a TURNIP?
No, Duck. We will not put in a turnip.

I love Jan Thomas. Like Leslie Patricelli, she's one of my favorite, favorite writers for young children. I adore her books. Probably my favorite, favorite is IS EVERYONE READY FOR FUN? I also enjoy Rhyming Dust Bunnies. Those two along with Birthday for Cow are among my favorites. I am so pleased that A Birthday for Cow is now available in board book format.

In A Birthday for Cow, readers meet Cow, Pig, Mouse, and Duck. Pig, Mouse, and Duck are going to surprise Cow with a birthday cake. They are hard at work. Duck is not helping. Duck is a distraction. A big distraction. Finally the cake is ready to give to Cow. How will Cow react?! Will this be the BEST BIRTHDAY EVER?!

I love the humor! I love the illustrations! It's just fun and playful.

Can You Say It, Too? Moo! Moo! With BIG Flaps to Lift! Sebastien Braun. 2014. Candlewick Press. 10 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Who's that in the barn?
It's a friendly cow!
Moo! Moo!

Who's that behind the bucket?
It's a noisy rooster!
Cock-a-doodle-doo!

Lift the flap books can be fun. Farm books can be fun. So this seems like an easy choice for parents with little ones. It's simple. Very simple. The emphasis is on the sounds farm animals make. I'm not sure it's unique enough to be a WOW book. Personally, my FAVORITE book in this sub-genre is Pig-a-Boo! by Dorothea DePrisco published by Simon & Schuster. It has flaps and is also a touch-and-feel book. Do you have a favorite farm animal book for little ones?

Can You Say It, Too? Woof! Woof! With BIG flaps to Lift! Sebastien Braun. 2014. Candlewick Press. 10 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Who's that behind the gate?
It's a friendly dog.
Woof! Woof!

Who's that beside the flower pots?
It's a playful cat.
Meow! Meow!

 Does your little one love to make animal sounds? Does your little one love to lift flaps in books? Then this new series in the Nosy Crow line might be a good match. Woof! Woof! and Moo! Moo! are two books in a new series called "Can You Say It, Too?" Both books are very simple and quite adequate.

B is for Bulldozer: A Construction ABC. June Sobel. Illustrated by Melissa Iwai. 2003/2013. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Do you see the Asphalt for paving the road,
or the big shiny Bulldozer pushing a load?
I see a Crane way up high in the sky,
and a rusty red Dump truck rumbling by.
Here comes an Excavator to dig a huge hole.
Nearby there's a Forklift hauling a pole.
Let's look for the Grader on the roadbed,
and a man with a Hard hat protecting his head.
I spy an I beam made out of steel,
and a Jackhammer making a noise you can feel.

I was impressed by June Sobel's B is for Bulldozer. Most alphabet books--though not all alphabet books--"teach" the alphabet but fail to tell a larger story. B is for Bulldozer is clearly an alphabet book, but, it is also an entertaining story TOLD IN RHYME. An amusement park is being built. It takes about a year from start of construction to opening day, but for curious children watching the action (from afar) it is a delight! By the end, the children are ready to ZOOM on the roller coaster.

© 2014 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews