Peekaboo Morning by Rachel Isadora, Rachel Isadora (Illustrator)

Publishers Weekly

A toddler greets the day with games of peekaboo in Isadora's (Nick Plays Baseball) ebullient offering. Rendered in thick, silky pastels, the opening spread introduces an African-American child snuggling in bed, looking straight out of the picture. In the background, the sun beams through the open window, softens the edges of the child's deep black hair and shines light on his or her face. "Peekaboo! I see..." reads the generously sized, toddler-friendly type. "My mommy" appears on the following page, where the child, on the mother's lap, exchanges adoring gazes with her. From this point, recto-page illustrations, set into wide blank borders, show the child initiating the game (e.g., the child, peering over the edge of a white surface, cries "Peekaboo! I see..."), and full-bleed pictures opposite complete the act (the child spies Daddy lying on his bed). Elsewhere, visual clues help children predict what happens next. Sitting in a high chair, for instance, the child sees a furry tail sticking out from behind an open door; a puppy appears on the next page. The lustrous organic palette and simple, repetitive text make a cozy combination. Ages 2-6. (May) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

PreS-This pleasing picture book features a cheerful African-American toddler playing peekaboo with parents, grandparents, amiable animals, a friend, and even readers. Each sentence begins with "Peekaboo! I see-," and will have young listeners chiming along in no time. Clues in the pictures encourage children to guess just who is being peeked at on each following page. Isadora's rich pastel illustrations depict the child close-up in a colorful, attractive setting. Endpapers show a house on a big green lawn, while inside the book mommy hugs, daddy plays, grandma is busy in the garden, and grandpa relaxes in a deck chair. Whether children live in the city or the country, they'll be able to relate to this simple game and enjoy the narrator's obvious delight. Great for baby lap-sits and toddler storytimes.-Lisa Dennis, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

With eyelids fluttering open, an adorable African-American toddler wakes to play a game of peekaboo with everyone. First spying someone over the mound of blankets heaped on the bed, it is "Peekaboo! I see . . . my mommy." Peering over the edge of another bed, "Peekaboo! I see . . . my daddy." Again and again, this smiling child sees someone else, even spying her own diapered image in the mirror. A tail wagging out from behind a door turns out to be a puppy. A string trailing from behind an ottoman is a toy train. Traveling outside, a hat dipped low over the garden is "my grandma," and the man peeking from behind the newspaper is "my grandpa." Finding a rabbit, a butterfly, and even a friend in the garden is more fun when incorporated into this extended game. The toddler finishes by peering out from the pages to play it with the reader. A small drawing with a clue as to who might be featured in the next scene of this familiar game, precedes the discovery. When the child surprises the object of her interest, the drawings of her smiling face spill across the whole page. Bright pastel drawings, full of vibrant color, illustrate this familiar game. Toddlers will delight in the play-along potential of this beautiful story. (Picture book. 2-5)

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