Thank you for visiting.
This content is exclusive to subscribers only.
As a digital subscriber, you’ll receive unlimited access to Horn Book web exclusives and extensive archives, as well as access to our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database.
To access other site content, visit The Horn Book homepage.
Log In
Don't have a Horn Book Account?
Register Now
Register Now
Walsh, Melanie
11 Reviews
(3)
PS
Isaac attributes his differences, such as fidgeting, forgetting to say hello, and telling people miscellaneous facts, to being a superhero. The instructive text about characteristics of children on the autism spectrum is made approachable by friendly, colorful illustrations with pleasing shapes and by the story's fantasy set-up with a turn of honesty (Isaac admits at the end he has Asperger's, not superpowers). Websites.
Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey
(2)
PS
As she smiles out a window of a cozy-looking brick home, a girl explains that sometimes she lives with Mom. Lift up the front of the house, and now she peers out from an equally inviting high-rise, where she lives with Dad. Children with divorced parents often lead bifurcated lives, and Walsh's lift-the-flap book acknowledges this common situation in a welcoming, straightforward manner.
Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
May, 2012
(2)
PS
This go-green manual gets kids in the spirit with a hands-on approach. They lift half-page flaps while being reminded to turn off the tap, feed the birds, use both sides of the paper, etc., each action nontaxing yet salutary, engaging kids rather than lecturing to them. The cheering tone is echoed in the simple and well-focused pictures and the in-on-the-story design.
Reviewer: Roger Sutton
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 2009
(2)
PS
Walsh's fourth question-and-answer picture book sticks with her clever tried-and-true formula, this time introducing animal homes. Such silly queries as "Do crocodiles live in shells?" invite enthusiastic choruses of "NO!" and set up the answers ("No, but snails do"). Assisted by the crowd-pleasing and funny color-saturated illustrations, listeners can hazard a guess before the page turn; the following spread reveals the answer.
Reviewer: Kitty Flynn
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
July, 2006
(3)
PS
At the beginning of this brief book, three-year-old Minnie compares herself to her baby brother, who can't do nearly as much as she can. Next, Minnie talks about how she and her brother interact: "When my brother is sad, I try to cheer him up." The lift-the-flap format works well with both portions of the text, and the simple acrylic illustrations have preschool appeal.
Reviewer: Martha Sibert
(3)
PS
In appealing childlike paintings marked by springtime colors and little interior line, pairs of animals are brought forth to showcase their similarities and differences, with emphasis placed on the former. It may be an understatement to say that lions have "scratchy" claws, just like kittens, but the point about looking closer at living things to see what they have in common comes across with unforced cheer.
Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann
(3)
PS
Playful, simple portraits of young children with circles for eyes and curved lines for noses and mouths are used to show that different-looking people are often more alike than they seem to be (e.g., "Arthur's hair is brown and straight. / Kit's hair is black and spiky. But... / they both don't like shampoo!"). The bright colors, basic shapes, and friendly faces keep the worthy message from becoming heavy-handed.
Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann
(2)
PS
Walsh extends her theme of mixed-up animal attributes to the slightly more complex subject of animal locomotion. Her illustrations have advanced to colorful scenes of happy activity. Preschoolers will be thrilled by the silly questions--"Do hippos hop?"--and quick to reply with their own "No!" The logical responses will provide satisfying nods of recognition. Visually and thematically, this third installment is Walsh's best yet.
Reviewer: Lauren Adams
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
July, 2000
(4)
PS
DK Toddler Story Book series.
Young Poppy avoids bedtime by hiding in various locations (the laundry hamper, Taffy's dog bed, behind the sofa) before she settles down in the only place that's roomy and comfortable enough--in bed under her pink gingham bedspread. While the book offers nothing especially original, the illustrations depicting Poppy's meanderings through the house are large, bold, and attractive.
Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty
(2)
PS
Though the audience for these silly animal riddles is more preschool than babies, the board-book versions (each missing one spread from the original edition) are welcome for their sturdy pages, able to stand up to repeated requests from giggling listeners.
Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
May, 1996
(2)
PS
Though the audience for these silly animal riddles is more preschool than babies, the board-book versions (each missing one spread from the original edition) are welcome for their sturdy pages, able to stand up to repeated requests from giggling listeners.
Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 1997
11 reviews
We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.