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August 09, 2007
Three brief book reviews
-- Birthday Monsters! by Sandra Boynton
My only quibble with Boynton here is that her caps lock seems to be stuck (yes -- the monsters are shouting. Let's not overdo it, though). Birthday Monsters! doesn't quite measure up to the charming brilliance of her masterpiece, Barnyard Dance!, but that, of course, is an impossibly high standard.
-- How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten? by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague
The pressing question posed by the title is answered in the first few pages. I won't spoil it for you. Okay, maybe I will: dinosaurs count to ten by making use of common objects, such as balloons and socks. As with the other books in this series, the friendly dinosaurs co-exist with helpful humans, all of whom appear oblivious to the shockingly anachronistic nature of their banal interactions. This is fine for the first ten or so readings, but eventually grates.
-- Clifford's Opposites by Norman Bridwell
Binary oppositions are the order of the day in Norman Bridwell's mind-numbingly awful book. Clifford is last, his friend is first. Clifford is small, his friend is big. The narrative -- really nothing more than an illustrated list -- ends with the word "Opposites!" in case we didn't get it. Hey, I've got one for you: Some books are good, this one is not.
Posted by teb at August 9, 2007 09:37 AM