Maria van LieshoutCritiques

Baby through- Age 2
New York Public Library Summer Reading Challenge Selection 2015
Bank Street Best Children's Books of the Year 2015
Amazon Best Books of the Month for Baby-Age 2, August 20

Jerry exchanges his crib with a new big boy bed. He faces some challenges, like getting used to the size and feel of the new bed. But Jerry is though and overcomes his fears and sleeps in his new bed all night.

This book is about a boy who recalls all the things he did as a baby and now that he is a big kid he is proud to sleep in a big bed. At night when he wakes up and feels scared he cuddles with his belongings and goes back to sleep. When he reawakens, he is proud that he stayed in his big boy bed!

This book shows the journey of a child learning to use the potty. It put infacence on the key words such as yucky, stinky, diapers; to show how wearing diapers are not so cool. they also bold the words underwear and big kid to show that big kids wear underwear. The importance of this book is to get kids to use the potty. My little sister has just been fully potty trained fully two months ago and she love this book.

The little girl explains how she used a bunny as a baby to deal with her emotions. Now that she is a big girl she no longer has a need for her binky. She decides to give it to a baby who can use it. Ages 2 to 4 years old. Pierce college library and in class presentations.

This story is about a girl who cannot live without her pacifier. She needs her pacifier when she gets upset, hungry, or tired. But, she finally knows that she is not a baby anymore and give her pacifier way.
Ages: 2-4
Source: classmate

Many children use a binky and when this little girl outgrows her binky she isn't sure what purpose it could serve now. The little girl finds different uses for her binky.
age: 3-5
source: in class book share

The boy keeps crying unless he has his binky. He holds his binky very close to himself. Eventually realizes he is a big kid and does not need his binky and longer. He ends up giving his binky he held very close to himself to another baby who needs it more because now he is a big kid and has no use of it.
Ages: 3-5
Source: In class presentation

The main character discusses the differences in how she works through emotions now, versus when she was a baby. She explains that now she is a big girl and no longer needs a binky. She gives the binky to another baby who will need it.

Ages : 2-4
Source: In Class Book Share

The realistic point of view that this story takes is refreshing. So many alphabet and counting stories are about foods and animals, whereas airports tend to be just as intriguing to young children. The illustrations are cartoon-y, yet realistic and a lot can be learned from this book.

big kid moments

This is a bit incoherent as a counting book, since it also tries to walk you through the airport (so we go from e.g. ten gates to 100 seatbelts to one happy reunion), but it also has a sense of adventure and (in principle) gets kids excited about the big world to explore.½

Traffic signs? Uh, the fatal flaw here is that kids young enough to care about his book face backward in their car seats and can't see shit, and your copyeditor or someone should have told you that, Maria Van Lieshout.

"BIG KIDS DON'T NEED A BINKY."
or so says the big girl in this cheery orange book by Maria van Lieshout.

BYE-BYE BINKY is actually the second book from Ms. Lieshout this year. The first was on that other area that can vex both big and small -- potty training. Like I USE THE POTTY this book approaches the topic from a celebratory and positive theme. You aren't so much leaving the binky and diapers behind, as you are moving on to bigger and better things.

BYE-BYE BINKY begins with a baby crying. Our narrator then talks about the many reasons why she --and other babies-- cry. When they're hungry, upset, tired... and the solution to that was The Binky. She admits that she loved her binky but quickly adds that she doesn't have it anymore.

At this point we have a divergence from the approach Lieshout took in the potty book. In that latter case the book spent time pointing out 'What Big Kids Do'. In this book though the author addresses the comfort that a binkie provides, and she has her character give suggestions for what other children can do when they think they need comforting and ... the binky. (Which our extended family calls a 'dow'.)

All of these suggestions really boil down to a theme that many parents and caregivers are busy promoting anyway. That is that children should "use their words". So instead of crying, our heroine suggests kids ask for a hug, or a snack. Or if those things aren't quite right they can snuggle with what Dr. Brazelton calls a lovey.

So two elements working for us in this book. Growing up and being like BIG kids, and Using Our Words.

SUMMARY
A bright and colorful book, I am so glad that the main character isn't white. I know when my first born was at the leave-the-binky stage I had a difficult time making sure that there were plenty of diversity presented in the books we shared. Fortunately authors and publishers have worked to fix this problem.

I thought the concept of being a Big Kid wasn't as thoroughly emphasized as in Lieshout's potty book. And I was disappointed that there wasn't as much humor either.

Still, this is a useful book that could very well be used in almost any sort of anti-binky campaign.

~ review copy

Let's Celebrate!

I USE THE POTTY approaches potty training with a big positive attitude and some subtle psychology. And let's face it, different approaches are needed. Some little people 'get it' and want to be BIG kids like their siblings or friends. While other kids find small rewards like stickers just the thing to motivate them. And some kids --talking to you my dearest son-- need to go at their own stubborn pace.

I USE THE POTTY is a book that can work with all of the above approaches. It's brightly colored and humorous and it doesn't get 'forceful' so you won't run the risk of offending those stubborn "I will make my own decisions, mater and pater" types.

The book starts off by talking about what 'babies' do. Drink their ba-ba, burp, and pee. And there's a picture of a baby sitting in a leaky diaper with a puddle of pee-pee on the floor. Then there's some stinky diaper humor before we get on to the important parts which are what BIG KIDS do!

Since most children who are at the potty training stage no longer wish to be silly babies, this is a message they can embrace.

SUMMARY
A cute little book with colorful pages and plenty of humor. It discusses different aspects of successfully moving beyond diapers --like having to be mindful of your bladder-- so that we adults can can help our littles succeed.

~ Review copy

Counting book set at an airport. This book counts beyond ten, and includes distance, altitude, and places to visit.

Learning about numbers and symbols at the airport. A beautifully designed concept book.

Warm, whimsical friendship story.

Children learn counting, but perhaps more importantly a sense of bigger numbers and relative distances between Standard and Metric measuring systems.

Tumble and his two best friends were dashing down the snowy hills until Tumble found a red object popping out of the snow. Being the brave one, Tumble pulled it out and started to play with it. It was a scarf, but the three best friends called it a "Wubbie." Tumble did not want to share HIS Wubbie. While playing, Tumble gets stuck underneath a rock. He pulled and pushed but could not set himself free. He calls for his friends for help. They will not help him because Tumble made it quite clear that they cannot touch his Wubbie. FInally, They help Tumble, and the three best friends set off on some more playing.

This little book teaches children to share. It also shows the example of if you do not help or share with a friend, they will not return the favor.

It is a counting book about what you see when you travel by airplane starting from arriving at the airport. 1 what do you see? 2 what do you see? ( hence the title 1-2-3) etc etc. all the way to when you land at your destination.

This is a creative counting book. With air travel becoming more common this book offers counting examples in the airport, airplane, and air. The illustrations are very unique and modern. There are very few words, so the author/illustrator communicates through airport signs.

counting through the airport. A fun way to do counting and also presents numbers such as 1,000 and 10,000 as in altitude and miles.

Summary: This counting book utilizes things found in an airport to count.
Review: Children would like to count along on the pictures. Each item is highlighted in the same color to make it clear what is being counted. The book jumps from one through ten to one hundred and other high numbers, this may add to any number confusion children have. I liked that the book showed the metric as well as American measurements.

Flight 1-2-3 is a wonderfully graphic counting book that shows the many things that happen and are present in the process of taking an airplane trip. From arriving to the airport and finding one's way around to getting on the actual plane and buckling up, passengers (or in this case readers) become aware of the surroundings in a playful and educational depiction of traveling. The literal design of the book is very modern and bold in design. Colors are kept simple, predominantly to black, white, and the primary colors. This makes for a unique reading experience because it is able to accentuate the many warnings and landmarks there are at the airport. While children are counting, they are also learning about the things it takes to make a journey to a given location. It is a highly relevant and up to date book, which brings more "adult" content or unknown territory familiar and less intimidating to a child.