Review by Booklist Review
Ages 2^-5. This upbeat picture book follows an exuberant little boy through his day. The quick-paced text uses short phrases and many active words, hitting the high points in his own words. Generally the words, the rhymes, and the near-rhymes read aloud well, though occasionally the word choice is a little awkward, as in "Close the light. Say good night. Sleep sweet dreams." Even nonreaders, though, will be able to enjoy the activities and emotions so clearly portrayed in the bright illustrations. Very young children may be confused by seeing more than one picture of young Peter on a single spread, but they will have no doubt of what is happening in each one, even if they don't yet go to the library, practice violin, or take a bath by themselves (How old is this child?). On the other hand, very young children will delight in recognizing the many everyday activities (brushing teeth, taking off pajamas, putting on socks) depicted on the page. A cheerful picture book that many preschoolers will enjoy. --Carolyn Phelan
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A perky preschooler (or kindergartner) flies solo through his daily routine in this upbeat offering, which begins with a wake-up visit from the boy's pet cat. As the child washes up, gets dressed, eats breakfast, plays at school, goes to the library, etc., he is pictured on his own. Only in frames depicting his drop-off at and pickup from school and at bedtime do his parents appear. The parents' limited role reinforces the book's celebration of children's independence, even if it sometimes presents a skewed perspective of age-appropriate autonomy. The text is simple and the picture clues are ample, but the verse's rhythm and rhyme scheme are intermittently forced (e.g., "Right shoe, left shoe. Tie, comb, done! Breakfast's ready, pour, crunch, yum!"). Aliki's (William Shakespeare & the Globe) brightly hued, unadorned art convincingly conveys the protagonist's high energy and enthusiasm. A cheerful if minor addition to the author/artist's oeuvre. Ages 3-6. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Just as the title implies, this jubilant story shows and tells about a child doing all sorts of things independently. "Right shoe,/left shoe./Tie,/comb,/done!/Breakfast's ready,/pour,/crunch,/yum!" The boy goes through a typical day, getting dressed, going to school, visiting the library, practicing his violin, helping with dinner, and getting ready for bed. Aliki's colorful illustrations closely match the moods and energy levels of a five- or six-year-old. The youngster's dog and cat have almost as much personality as he has. The text has a hand-printed appearance, large and easy to read. The back cover features a chart labeled, "What can you do all by yourself?" with verbs such as wash, brush, button, zip, tie, pour, build, and write. A good choice for storyhours and beginning readers.-Sharon R. Pearce, Geronimo Public School, OK (c) Copyright 2010. 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
(Preschool) The mantra of young children everywhere is acted out with gusto in this enthusiastic picture book that zips along with a little boy as he goes about his day. From the moment our independent hero leaves his bed, he is in motion, scrubbing his ears, brushing his teeth, wrestling out of his jammies and into his school clothes. Succinct rhyming descriptions of his actions set the brisk pace: ""Pull up the blue jeans, button and zip. / On with the socks, and now for a flip."" Aliki leaves ample white space for the boy to perform these feats and lets his dog and cat make more frequent appearances than his parents, furthering the satisfying impression that he is accomplishing everything on his own. But even the most self-sufficient among us needs help sometimes, and the boy's mother is just the right person to step in when it's ""time to stop."" At bedtime, her arm encircles her young son as she reads to him on his bed, effectively reining in his energy-for the time being. c.m.h. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Essentially a follow-up to Robert Kraus's Leo the Late Bloomer (1971) and like tales of developing competency, this follows an exuberant child from morning wash-up to lights out at night, cataloguing the tasks and skills he has mastered. Activities include dressing himself and joining in school activities, choosing his own books, helping with dinner and other household responsibilities, and taking a bath alone before bedtime. In Aliki's sunny, simplified pictures, it's a child's world, seen from low angles and with adults putting in only occasional appearances. Like the lad, the fitfully rhymed text gallops along, sometimes a little too quickly--many illustrations are matched to just a word or two, so viewers aren't always given much time to absorb one image before being urged on to the next--but underscoring the story's bustling energy. Young readers and pre-readers will respond enthusiastically to this child's proud self-assurance, and be prompted to take stock of their own abilities too. (Picture book. 5-7) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
