Review by Booklist Review
Nonsense words and jaunty rhymes pack the oversize pages of this beautifully illustrated collection of poems. Rosen's playful verses steer clear of storytelling, instead focusing on sounds that are fun to say aloud, such as Pippy-peppy / Pippy-peppy / Pep, pep pep or Bumba / Ya-bumba / Bumba-bumba-rumba. Plainly printed on a page, the lines might lack energy, but, luckily, each rhythmic poem is laid out in bright, large fonts, sometimes on swirling lines, to fill each crisp, white page. Riddell's hefty, softly colored pencil-and-watercolor illustrations render both realistic toddlers and anthropomorphic animals with hugely expressive faces and gestures, which help to ground the sometimes absurd verses in recognizable emotions. Lost, for instance, features a small, morose-looking mouse a fitting complement to the poem about feeling lonely and left behind. Elsewhere, Rosen and Riddell pair a page-filling drawing of a clumsy elephant with the line, Don't squash your bun, Doris. Preschoolers probably won't sit still for the entire collection at once, but individual selections are likely to get them moving to the lively beat.--Hunter, Sarah Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Toddler-PreS-This collection of silly rhymes and poems is sure to please the prereading crowd. Most of the entries are a page or less, and although they are often nonsense, they are notable for their joyful rhymes and bouncy rhythm. The text often echoes the style of traditional nursery rhymes, working with nonsense words and made-up characters to bring fun and action to poetry. The illustrations are large and playful and vary in style from very realistic to out of this world but will surely appeal to babies and toddlers. The large format makes this title good for sharing, and children will likely find favorite poems that they will wish to hear again and again. VERDICT An excellent choice for prereaders and very young children, as well as anyone with a love for nursery rhymes.-Ellen Norton, Naperville Public Library, Naperville, IL © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
I've got a sausage / You've got a pie. / I can't whistle / And I don't know why." Rosen's nonsensical poetry collection is loaded with rhythm, repetition, and silliness. An array of animated animals, monsters, and children decorate the pages in Riddell's illustrations; a large trim size and dynamic layout complete the package. A sure hit for toddlers at read-aloud time. (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Short poems and accompanying illustrations make up this word-format poetry anthology for little ones. Thirty-five poems run the gamut from high-spirited wordplay for very young listeners ("Kippy-cuppy / Kippy-cuppy / Cup, cup, cup") to relatively more complex ideas ("I'm a very, very, very slow train / And I'm very, very late again"). Some poems validate the strong emotions all children feel at some time, such as "I Don't Want," "I Am Hungry," and "I Am Angry," while others nestle into their private worlds: "You fell off the table / And landed on your head. / I picked you up / And put you to bed," with the accompanying illustration showing a teddy bear tucked into bed. Riddell's fluid watercolor-and-pencil illustrations bring a grace to each poem, no matter what its subject, and he depicts many ethnicities of children (in addition to animals and nonscary monsters). The text changes size and color with each page and often within the poem itself, a fine detail in this well-designed book. Some poems are strange ("Why did the man bend down low? / Why did the man eat some snow?"), reflecting the bemusement very small children feel at the doings of adults. The poem titled "Don't Squash" shows an elephant who's just stepped on something that may be a jelly doughnut, but the red ooze it splatters may provoke more than a few questions. Despite (or perhaps because of) the odd bits, this book successfully celebrates the private, gleeful, imaginative world of toddlers. (Picture book/poetry. 1-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
