As a digital subscriber, you’ll receive unlimited access to Horn Book web exclusives and extensive archives, as well as access to our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database.
To access other site content, visit The Horn Book homepage.
To continue you need an active subscription to hbook.com.
Subscribe now to gain immediate access to everything hbook.com has to offer, as well as our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database, which contains tens of thousands of short, critical reviews of books published in the United States for young people.
Thank you for registering. To have the latest stories delivered to your inbox, select as many free newsletters as you like below.
No thanks. Return to article
(4)
PS
Illustrated by
Bridget Strevens-Marzo.
Sturges asks, "How do you make a baby smile...laugh...coo...grin?" The answers are delivered in pleasant-enough rhymes that introduce animal babies and their parents into the proceedings ("Grin like Papa Crocodile," "Twist your neck like Papa Giraffe," etc.). The illustrations, featuring black-outlined drawings on bold monochromatic backgrounds, are appropriately playful, but the text doesn't stand above other human-babies-juxtaposed-with-baby-animals books.
32 pp.
| Little
| October, 2007
|
TradeISBN 978-0-316-82323-4$16.99
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Ashley Wolff.
This Southwest take on the Christmas carol substitutes a piñata and kachina dancers for the pear tree and drummers drumming. Though the text occasionally struggles to maintain the song's scansion (music included), the melding of traditions is effective. Wolff's illustrations show bizcochito cookie preparation (recipe appended) in a panel on the left; a boisterous celebration fills the rest of each spread.
40 pp.
| Dutton
| June, 2005
|
TradeISBN 0-525-46440-9$15.99
(4)
PS
Illustrated by
Amy Walrod.
Set to the rhythm of "This little piggy," this tale presents two unfriendly bands of pirate pigs and one mysterious locked box. Though the format grows tiresome and the pigs never develop individual personalities, intricate cut-paper illustrations add to the pigs' playfulness as they quarrel over the box and then work together to open it and enjoy the contents.
32 pp.
| Putnam
| May, 2005
|
TradeISBN 0-399-23464-0$16.99
(3)
4-6
Illustrated by
Giles Laroche.
Thoughtful rhyming poems describe such vessels as a Viking drakar, the famous ships Mauretania and Savannah (the first steamship to cross the Atlantic and back), and canoes, whalers, and sailing boats. The detailed illustrations feature intricate paper constructions enhanced with drawing and painting.
32 pp.
| HarperCollins
| April, 2005
|
TradeISBN 0-06-056168-8$12.99
|
LibraryISBN 0-06-056169-6$14.89
(3)
PS
Illustrated by
Shari Halpern.
"Some bugs burrow underground. / Others swoop and buzz around." A boy notes the variety and abilities of numerous bugs. As with I Love Planes! and I Love School!, this one ends with a family member--the boy's baby sister in a ladybug costume--joining the fun. Genial, black-outlined art illustrates the bouncy text. Endpapers provide brief facts about nineteen common creatures.
32 pp.
| Dutton
| March, 2005
|
TradeISBN 0-525-47116-2$16.99
(3)
PS
Illustrated by
Jim Ishikawa.
Why do dogs always sniff each other's backsides? Long ago, hoping to rid the world of cats, dogs attended a big convention, leaving their tails at the door. A feline saboteur caused a mix-up of tails, and dogs are still searching for their own "waggers." The spirited, fanciful illustrations for this jaunty rhyme show a multitude of dogs with comically mismatched tails.
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Shari Halpern.
With the same gusto that fueled I Love Trucks! and the rest of their collaborations, Sturges and Halpern craft a rousing endorsement of kindergarten from a child's perspective. The flat, heavily outlined, brightly colored illustrations exude good cheer as a brother and sister take turns telling (in rhyme) what they like to do in the classroom and on the playground.
32 pp.
| Little/Tingley
| June, 2004
|
TradeISBN 0-316-82256-6$$15.95
(3)
PS
Illustrated by
Ashley Wolff.
In this adaptation of the classic folksong, a bevy of southwestern animals from the town of Reederville prepare a feast for the arrival of a guest--that is, when they're not taking a break to read a book. The galloping lilt of the text is made fresh with clever wordplay and references to Mexican cuisine and music. Librarians will be especially delighted once the guest's identity is revealed.
(3)
PS
Illustrated by
Shari Halpern.
A young aviation lover daydreams about being a passenger on every type of flying machine he can think of, from a hot-air balloon to a space station (where his astronaut mom works). The flat, bold images and simple text will captivate the youngest flying enthusiasts, while the more detailed information on the endpapers will help older readers who want to know what distinguishes various planes.
32 pp.
| HarperCollins
| May, 2001
|
TradeISBN 0-06-028900-7$$12.95
|
LibraryISBN 0-06-028901-5$$13.89
(4)
PS
Illustrated by
Shari Halpern.
As the train passes by his window, a little boy, wearing overalls and an engineer's hat, expresses his love of trains and describes each type of car and its function--especially "the car that carries Dad." Although the rhyming text sometimes misses, the bold double-page spreads provide expansive black-outlined landscapes and ample room for the brightly colored train to travel across the pages.
32 pp.
| Little/Tingley
| September, 2000
|
TradeISBN 0-316-82016-4$$14.95
(4)
PS
Illustrated by
Ashley Wolff.
Using the familiar chant as a starter, this rhyme, which lacks the strong rhythm of the original, asks who took the cookies, then blames various animals. Bright watercolor illustrations set in the Southwest show Skunk following clues from one animal to the next, until at last he discovers the ants with the cookies. Music for the song and directions for playing the game are included.
40 pp.
| Putnam
| October, 2000
|
TradeISBN 0-399-23317-2$$16.99
(3)
4-6
Illustrated by
Giles Laroche.
Using a simple narrative thread, Sturges introduces a wide variety of sacred places, including a tiny church on an island in Greece, a temple in India, and a mosque in Niger. Laroche's stunning cut-paper illustrations are well suited to an architectural book. In addition, the author describes each structure in several sentences of small type next to the illustration. This handsome book is great for browsing.
32 pp.
| HarperCollins
| February, 1999
|
TradeISBN 0-06-027819-6$$12.95
(3)
PS
Illustrated by
Shari Halpern.
Invitingly clear and bright Byron Bartonesque artwork accompanies simple verse highlighting favorite vehicles. Labeled endpapers provide a composite of the featured trucks along with an additional fact about each one. The bold, large-scale pictures will make this a hit with even the youngest of truck lovers.
32 pp.
| Dutton
| September, 1999
|
TradeISBN 0-525-45953-7$$15.99
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Amy Walrod.
In an updated version of the classic tale, Little Red Hen makes a pizza pie, while the duck, dog, cat frolic in the streets. Only when it's time to eat the large pizza, does the trio finally offer to help--and they also do the dishes. Crisp cut-paper collage illustrations include clever details (the hen sports chunky-heeled shoes, then bunny slippers), which young readers will eat up.
32 pp.
| Putnam
| October, 1998
|
TradeISBN 0-399-23174-9$$15.99
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Giles Laroche.
Real bridges from around the world serve as examples of the different methods engineers have used to span rivers, canyons, and valleys. The tri-part text (a line of descriptive prose; the name, location, creation date, and style of the bridge; and a caption with engineering details) is choppy, but the detailed three-dimensional cut-paper illustrations will have readers gazing for hours.