  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 11/01/2015 PreS—This basic concept book introduces children to shapes while also presenting the months of the year. Rhyming couplets introduce common shapes such as circles, hearts, ovals, and squares, as well as more advanced ones like cones, spheres, octagons, and figure eights. The shapes relate to either a holiday or activity that is prevalent during the month, such as swimming in a rectangular pool in July or playing baseball on a diamond in June. For example, January's entry reads, "Circle round,/ready to roll/Add two sticks,/a carrot, and coal." The digital illustrations are big, bright, and bold and will attract the attention of even the youngest prereaders. With the exception of the final rhyme, where the end of the couplet is broken up on two different pages, the story flows well and the rhymes are easy to read aloud. VERDICT Overall, this is an enjoyable and effective concept book that will be appreciated by adults and children alike.—Ellen Norton, Naperville Public Library, Naperville, IL - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 01/01/2016 A dimple-cheeked girl, a flame-haired boy, and a black-and-white puppy share adventures, no matter the season. For each month, a specific shape suggests a unique detail associated with that month. “Circle round, / ready to roll. / Add two sticks, / a carrot, and coal” reads January’s spread, which depicts a snowman being built with a whole lot of circle shapes. In May, a square planter holds flowers under spring showers. In September, a red octagon stops the traffic as the children cross a street on their way back to school. Month by month, Katz’s singsongy text rings rather predictably but benefits significantly from illustrator Ojala’s bright, digitally manipulated art, ideal for enhancing colors and shapes. Ojala even gives the puppy an ongoing narrative of his own, protecting his own snowball, enjoying a breezy bike ride, discovering his swimming-pool reflection, and waiting for an ice-cream cone to drip right into his mouth. Rare is the book that can teach seasons, months, shapes, and colors all at once. - Copyright 2016 Booklist. Loading...
 |