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Cousins, Lucy
45 Reviews
(3)
PS
In Cousins's latest "first experiences" book, Penguin and Ostrich are getting married, and Maisy (and readers) learn the essentials of a wedding. From the ceremony to the party afterward, Maisy and her friends enjoy each special moment before the newlyweds embark on their honeymoon. Cousins's bold, cheerful gouache illustrations are well suited to a celebratory occasion full of love, confetti, dancing, and cake.
Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter
(2)
PS
Cousins invites listeners to join in as part of a boisterous flock: "Can you imagine...just for one day...you're a busy bird? Yes, a bird! Hooray!" The simple rhyming text creates a jaunty, quick pace for the youngest audiences, while saturated gouache paintings with bright colors, strong contrasts, and thick black outlines allow each feathered specimen to burst off the page.
Reviewer: Julie Roach
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
July, 2017
(3)
PS
Maisy encounters her friends Charley, Cyril, and Eddie while shopping at the bookstore. After bookseller Ostrich's storytime, Maisy heads to Tallulah's house to bestow a present--a book--that they read together. The simple story gives young children basic information about an unfamiliar situation (and also promotes shopping locally). Cousins's bright gouache art is reassuringly familiar.
Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter
(3)
PS
As Maisy looks up at the moon, she imagines what it would be like to visit. "The next morning," she becomes an astronaut and blasts off into space. A few very simple facts appear throughout ("there are lots of rocks and craters everywhere"), but the main draw is the pop-ups, lift-the-flaps, and pull-tabs that should hold young moon-gazers' attention.
Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz
(4)
PS
Maisy and friends split into two teams for some good-natured competition, including a sack race and tug-of-war (Field Day). Preschoolers ride along with Maisy, from check in to baggage claim, in Plane. The stories are slight, but they're not the point. The books give young children basic information about unfamiliar situations. Cousins's bright art is reassuringly familiar. Review covers these Maisy First Experiences Book titles: Maisy Goes on a Plane and Maisy's Field Day.
Reviewer: Kitty Flynn
(4)
PS
Crikey! Maisy and the gang take in the sights of the UK's capital. Piccadilly Circus, Tower Bridge, Big Ben--Cousins gives them her inimitable blocky treatment, and they look smashing. It's a terrific tour featuring Cousins's ever-cordial narration ("It's Buckingham Palace, where the Queen lives. / Hello, Your Majesty"); the only thing missing is the customary (low-stakes) conflict for Maisy.
Reviewer: Nell Beram
(4)
PS
Maisy and friends split into two teams for some good-natured competition, including a sack race and tug-of-war (Field Day). Preschoolers ride along with Maisy, from check in to baggage claim, in Plane. The stories are slight, but they're not the point. The books give young children basic information about unfamiliar situations. Cousins's bright art is reassuringly familiar. Review covers these Maisy First Experiences Book titles: Maisy Goes on a Plane and Maisy's Field Day.
Reviewer: Kitty Flynn
(2)
PS
Maisy helps Mommy Hen track down her ten chicks in time for bed. They make their way around the farm ("Are there any chicks in the trailer?"), picking up the little ones as they go. By book's end, everyone is accounted for. Large pages, friendly illustrations, plentiful white space, engaging flaps, clearly labeled numerals, and a very simple story line all play nicely together.
Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 2015
(4)
PS
It's time for a little woodpecker to learn how to peck: "Now, off you go, / my little one. / Practice hard / and have some fun." And peck it does, first outside then in a house, pecking everything in sight while actual holes accumulate on the thick pages. The rhythmic text is bouncy and, as always, Cousins's illustrations are bold and recognizable.
Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger
(4)
PS
In these very basic books, Maisy and her cadre of animal pals (all rendered in Cousins's distinctive style) see Hero in the Jungle at a movie theater and play a friendly game that ends in a tie and a message: "It doesn't matter who wins." A number of spreads are too cluttered, but Maisy's fans will nevertheless enjoy her latest, always lively outings.
Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger
(3)
PS
Maisy mouse joins her friends at the pool in this enthusiastic description of what happens at a swimming lesson. By observing Maisy as she floats, uses the kickboard, and blows bubbles, preschoolers can recognize their own experiences or preview future lessons. Cousins's signature illustrations, with their bright colors, simple figures, and heavy black outlines, enhance the cheerful mood.
Reviewer: Martha Sibert
(3)
PS
It's time for a little woodpecker to learn how to peck: "Now, off you go, / my little one. / Practice hard / and have some fun." And peck it does, first outside then in a house, pecking everything in sight while actual holes accumulate on the thick pages. The rhythmic text is bouncy and, as always, Cousins's illustrations are bold and recognizable.
Reviewer: Kari Allen
(3)
PS
Cleanly designed pages featuring Maisy the mouse make this craft book appropriate for preschoolers. Photos of the finished products combined with Cousins's familiar illustrations of Maisy and her animal friends accompany directions for seventeen preschool-perfect projects. With adult help, buttons, seeds, feathers, and the like can be turned into such items as bowls, "food gardens," and masks.
Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo
(3)
PS
Tallulah invites Maisy to a sleepover—Maisy's first! After packing, she heads over to her friend's house. There, Maisy meets Ella the koala, and together the three laugh, dance, eat, play games, and stay up late. Two mildly anxious moments ("Maisy felt a little shy") are quickly resolved. The beloved characters and preschooler-pleasing art are as familiar and reassuring as always.
Reviewer: Kitty Flynn
(3)
PS
This all-in-one concept book for preschoolers dedicates one spread each to numbers, patterns, weather, colors, shapes, sizes, noises, etc. Cousins's trademark spare illustrations in bold colors outlined in black keep things well contained amidst the flaps to lift and chicks to count (there are over sixty).
Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz
(3)
PS
Cousins's familiar bold-color art outlined in heavy black lines illustrate this straightforward story about Maisy's trip to the city. When Maisy and Charley visit their friend Dotty, they navigate the crowded sidewalks and streets, visit a toy store, and ride a subway. Maisy briefly gets lost at the toy store, but the crisis is quickly resolved.
Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty
(3)
PS
This cleverly conceived lift-the-flap book shows Maisy preparing for bed. The strong, heavily outlined illustrations are filled with amusing details such as a movable toothbrush, a flushing toilet, and toilet paper to unroll.
Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.
(3)
PS
Paper engineering by David Hawcock. Maisy and her friends practice their acts and put on a show. Each spread in this large-size, colorful book includes a clever pull-tab; in the final spread, readers pull apart curtains to reveal the full cast. The easy-to-follow text and vivid art are engaging, and toddlers will enjoy interacting with the pages (while the pop-ups last).
Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth
(3)
PS
Dog's braggadocio ("I'm much bigger than Ladybug. I win. I'm the best") hurts his four animal friends' feelings--until they remember their own talents ("Actually, I can fly much higher than you, Dog"). Here Cousins abandons her customary flat primary and secondary palette and revels in a loose-handedness that invigorates this terrifically sassy call for humility.
Reviewer: Nell Beram
(3)
PS
Maisy and company pack up and head for the beach. After a train ride deposits them at the shore, she and her friends build sandcastles, write postcards, and stay overnight in a hotel. As usual, Cousins's bright, simple, color-saturated paintings will draw preschoolers in as they follow along with another "Maisy First Experiences" story.
Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth
45 reviews
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