"Happy birthday to me," sings the jovial little toddler, clad in a white diaper and a striped birthday hat. "Look! I got a present!" he announces. It's a box as big as he is, wrapped in polka dotted paper and ribbon. What's inside? A big brown box! What's inside? It's a doggy! He names the little yellow dog Oscar, and the two immediately climb back into the box and go on splendid adventures. They fly over the ocean, sail their ship through the waves, slide through the snow, and eat some birthday cake. The first-baby narration couldn't be simpler, and the sturdy acrylic illustrations, with the baby, dog, and box outlined in black, make you want to dive into each page. Your littlest ones will be enchanted. Break out some big boxes and let your kids pretend like crazy.
Themes: BIRTHDAYS. BOXES. GIFTS. IMAGINATION. PLAY.
- This imaginative bath-time book excels at blending story and pictures.
- School Library Journal
- Replete with rhyming words and cartoony but recognizable sea creatures, this cheery voyage, a debut for illustrator Mack, makes exuberant reading aloud, both pre- and post-bath time.
- John Peters, Booklist
- Brightly colored cartoonlike illustrations add to the birthday fun. A good read aloud choice for preschoolers.
- Children
- This is a perfect birthday book for a toddler, along with a box, of course! It would also work well for storytime.
- Martha Topol, School Library Journal