56. Colors: My First Pop-Up

Board book: Colors My First Pop Up. Matthew Reinhart. Art by Ekaterina Trukhan. 2021. [May] 12 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: My favorite color is red. It's ladybugs and cherries, lobsters and berries. 

Premise/plot: What do you need to know about this one? It's a concept board book--the concept being colors. It's for toddlers who are careful with books or preschoolers who don't mind revisiting colors. It has some pop-ups thought not for each spread. There are some additional interactions--tabs to pull, flaps to lift, etc. The text is simple and predictable.

My thoughts: To be honest, I felt that some of the features were a little too hard to manipulate properly. I get the idea that things weren't moving as smoothly as they should to get the full effect of the illustrations. In particular I had a horrible time with the duck pop-up. And the frog pop-up was difficult as well. Though to be fair, once I did eventually get the frog to jump out of the log, it stayed unstuck. Maybe I just didn't work hard enough to get the ducks swimming properly.

I think this one should probably be a supervised activity unless you just don't care how long the book lasts. But the book retails at close to $15 so I'm just not sure why you would buy the book (at least full price) if your little one tends to be rough at handling books. I think there are probably better books if you're looking just for a good, solid books about colors. 

© 2021 Becky Laney of Young Readers

95. Star Wars Unfolds

Star Wars: The Saga Unfolds: An Illustrated Timeline. 2020. Abrams. 24 pages. [Source: Review copy]

  First sentence: "I want to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like my father." Luke Skywalker

Premise/plot: Star Wars Unfolds is an illustrated timeline--focusing on key quotes and key scenes--for the original trilogy of films. It isn't a thorough timeline; it doesn't capture everything. Not every relationship, not every scene is conveyed. It celebrates the original trilogy without focusing on telling a story that makes sense. Because let's be honest, the target audience probably already knows the original story backwards and forwards. If little ones have questions, then parents can fill in the answers.

As you turn the pages, one epic and seamlessly captivating illustration, printed on an accordion fold, moves forward with you—each section transitioning into the next to tell the story of a galaxy far, far away.

My thoughts: I do find it odd that it doesn't end with a celebration and clear victory. The end of the movie is joyous and satisfying. This book ends darkly and in the midst of conflict. It goes full circle in that it ends with Luke proclaiming, "I am a Jedi, like my Father before me." But for those that know WHO his father was (and that is one of the scenes of the book) that isn't all that comforting.

This one is for adult fans who have children of various ages. Though I imagine most parents won't be sharing this one with the very young because all it would take is a tear or two and it would be over.

Perhaps older readers could look closely at the storytelling and discuss why certain scenes were included and others left out?

© 2020 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Board book: Ready, Set, Drive!

Ready, Set, Drive! (Paw Patrol Drive the Vehicle) Courtney Carbone. 2019. Scholastic. 12 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Can you help the PAW Patrol race to the rescue?

Premise/plot: This one does not have an overall story. (Don't die of surprise, please) Every spread is a different scenario. The first scenario:

Paw Patrol, there's been a rockslide on the old trestle bridge. A train is trapped! Rubble, I need you and your bulldozer to scoop the boulders off the track. 

Each scenario offers readers an opportunity to "drive" one of the vehicles. The dashboard of each vehicle is a pop-up.

My thoughts: Does your little one love, love, love the Paw Patrol? Does your little one have a favorite pup? This one is a toy--let's just be honest and up front about that. There is a flimsy story on each spread, but that's about it in terms of story. Little ones may even want to make up their own stories--additional stories--if they enjoy "driving" the vehicles.



© 2019 Becky Laney of Young Readers

The Sound of Music

A Classic Collectible Pop-Up: The Sound of Music. By Rodgers & Hammerstein and Lindsay & Crouse. Adapted by Bert Fink. Illustrated by Dan Andreasen. Paper Engineering by Bruce Foster. 2009. Simon & Schuster. October 2009. 14 pages.

If you love the Sound of Music, then this really is a must-have. I love, love, love the Sound of Music. So this book made me giddy. Very, very giddy. In the must-show-to-all-my-friends way. This book brings all your favorite movie scenes to life. Each scene pops-up to reveal in wonderful detail the oh-so-magical story of Maria. (It would be hard to pick a favorite spread. Though the twirling Maria from the opening spread is a wonderful representation of how right this one is.) The story has been adapted and is told within the book--very cleverly in my opinion--in the mini-pop-ups/flaps. All the lyrics are included as well. Which was very nice.



© Becky Laney of Young Readers

A Walk Down Sesame Street

A Walk Down Sesame Street. Pop-Up Book. Candlewick Press.

I have mixed thoughts on this one. On the one hand, it is Sesame Street. But on the other hand, it is the new Sesame Street. Do I have the same affection for Abby and Zoe that I do for Grover and Big Bird? No. Definitely not. But who is the book for? Is the book for young readers who can't get enough Elmo? If so, then they'll be pleased. Because Elmo is the star of this one. If the book is for nostalgic adults, then perhaps it's not as successful at capturing the street we knew and loved. What should you expect in this one? Pop-ups and interactive activities--little things to manipulate on each spread. (Tabs to pull, wheels to turn, flaps to open and close, etc.)

Did I like the pop-ups? Yes and no. Some were fun. I loved the fact that you can make Super Grover fly and Cookie Monster stir a bowl of cookie dough. And the final page is just fun. You've got a pretty full cast of characters that pop out at you: Cookie, Oscar, Bert and Ernie, Elmo, Abby, Grover. (And a few more in the sidelines Big Bird, Zoe, and the Count.) But that first picture, the one where Elmo is as tall (if not taller) than the buildings on the street, just a wee bit scary...to me...at least.

So I liked it. But I didn't love, love, love it.

This one releases in October 2009.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

The True Story of Goldilocks

Baruzzi, Agnese. 2009. The True Story of Goldilocks. Illustrated by Sandro Natalini. Candlewick Press. (August 2009)

What I liked best about this one was the fact that it was a pop-up book. (Well, partly a pop-up book. It's definitely more in the interactive family of books than not. With flaps to open, wheels to turn, and a page or two that pops.) Are you curious about this so-called "true story?"

In this version, Goldilocks is beloved of Mama and Papa bear. Well, mostly. She's a good child, well-behaved. Baby Bear is a different story. He's a brat. End of story. Goldilocks to set out to reform him, to teach him some manners. But in the end, she learns something from Baby Bear as well...how to be a brat.

While fractured fairy tales are nothing new, they can be great fun every now and then.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

The True Story of Little Red Riding Hood

Baruzzi, Agnese. 2009. The True Story of Little Red Riding Hood. Illustrated by Sandro Natalini. Candlewick Press.

Little Red Riding Hood is used to being popular--the nicest person in the forest. But all that changes when she gives lessons to the Big Bad Wolf. He writes her a letter--very sincere, but containing many misspellings--begging her to help him out. He wants to reform. So the lessons begin. And they work! They really work. But now that he has what he wants, Little Red gets mighty jealous! Can she un-reform this big baddie?

This fractured fairy tale is fun.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Little Monsters

Pienkowski, Jan. 1981/2007. Little Monsters.

Originally published in 1981, Little Monsters is a monster-filled pop-up book. You may (or may not) remember Jan Pienkowski's other pop-up book, Dinner Time, which I reviewed several months ago. (See that review here.) I liked both books. I can appreciate the work that went into creating the intricate pop-ups. But in the case of this book, there were two few pop-ups. Five pop-up spreads. Then again, I noticed that the suggested retail price is only $7. So maybe it's not too few after all...considering.

I liked it. I didn't love it. But I did like it. I especially liked the little monster who is very rude.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Dinner Time

Jan Pienkowski's Dinner Time quite honestly confused me. On one hand, I enjoyed the pop-ups. Taken out of context, the pop-ups are quite fun and playful. Easy to manipulate. The frog, for example, the opening pop-up is just fun. You can make him "speak" based on how open or closed the book happens to be. The art is enjoyable as well, for the most part. I'm not sure if I would have found it fun or a bit scary as a kid--I spooked really easily--but it's well done. It's the premise of this one that confuses me. Not really. Just a little bit. It's the food chain done pop-up style. And not the food chain you might be expecting. Vultures eat frogs. Gorillas eat vultures. Tigers eat gorillas. Crocodiles eat tigers. Sharks eat crocodiles. Everybody but the shark is a meal. And the pop-ups show these greedy jaws--sharp, pointy teeth included--in action. The food chain does exist. It is a part of life. But whenever a wildlife documentary happens to be on, I'm one of those squeamish sorts that can't bear to see animals eating other animals. The chase. The capture. The blood. The devouring. And it's not like this book has any of the blood and guts. It's simple and straightforward enough.

"Tiger said, "I'm going to eat you for my dinner." And he did."

This one will either appeal to you or it won't.