Yzerman's Full Review: Chris Gifford and Christine Ricci - Valentine's fo...
Since Valentines Day is the next big holiday that the stores will be stocking shelves with merchandise for, I thought it would be a good time to review Valentines For Everyone, which is a Nick Jr. Dora the Explorer book. My daughter received this book from her abuela (grandmother) last Valentines Day.
Valentines for Everyone is written by Chris Gifford (one of creators of Dora the Explorer and Christine Ricci, and illustrated by Steve Savitsky. It is published by Simon Spotlight/Nick Jr. and is copyrighted 2003. It is a board book with 18 flaps throughout that the child can lift for surprises underneath.
For those who are not familiar with Dora the Explorer, it is a television show of the same name, which airs on Nick Jr. in the mornings and is aimed at the preschool age group. Dora is Hispanic and her best friend is a monkey named “Boots”. In each episode, Dora and Boots have a destination, which leads them through three tasks before they can complete their journey. They utilize a talking “Backpack” and a talking “Map” to reach their destinations. Through these adventures, they come in contact with other regular characters such as “Swipper” the fox, Ticco, and Benny. Throughout each episode, Dora teaches Spanish words and phrases, and uses problem solving, and interactive dialog, which encourages the child to think about the problem before Dora actually solves the problem.
In Valentines For Everyone, Dora and Boots are making a Valentines Day card for Dora’s abuela and the adventure begins with Boots asking, “Will you help us bring the surprise to Grandma’s house? Great!” There is a flap on this first double-page, which is the door leading to outside; when you open the flap, there is a hot-air balloon in the yard. On the next page, Dora and Boots are already in the hot-air balloon and are inviting readers in joining her for a ride over “Cupcake Mountain”. After going over “Cupcake Mountain”, Dora and Boots row a boat across “Chocolate Lake”. After the lake, Dora and Boots arrive in front of Grandma’s House. The mailbox in front of the house is a flap; when you open it, the mailbox is full of Valentines Cards. Dora says, “Yay! We made it to Grandma’s house! Do you see mi abuela?” There is another flap at the front door, and when you lift it, Grandma is standing in the doorway waving. The last double page takes place inside Grandma’s house where Dora and Grandma are exchanging gifts. Grandma’s present has a flap, which you lift to find a kitten. Dora’s gift when you lift a flap is a heart necklace.
My daughter was two years old when she received this book, and was already a huge Dora fan. She loved the book and still does. Even though it is a board book, it is showing signs of wear and tear due to many readings. She loves lifting the flaps to see what is underneath. After almost a year of looking at this book, she has learned what is underneath each flap, and takes delight in telling me what is under there before she reveals it. This book has remained one of her favorites, though I am unsure whether it is because it is a Dora book, or whether it is because her own abuela gave it to her.
What I like about the book is, like the television cartoon, the book is interactive. It encourages thinking, problem-solving, and language skills. Dora’s and Boot’s questions, along with the flaps, help my daughter feel like she is a part of the adventure. The plot is simple: delivering a Valentines Card and gift to Grandma, along with a couple of brief adventures (Cupcake Mountain and Chocolate Lake). It is similar enough to the cartoon so as to be familiar to my daughter. The other thing I really like about this book (and the cartoon) is that the lead character is a female going on an adventure. It is one of the few lead characters featuring a female who is intelligent, self-confident, and adventurous.
Since the book was written by one of the creators of Dora the Explorer, and published by Nick Jr., the illustrations are true to the cartoon. All of the characters and the storyline will be familiar to those who watch the cartoon.
I would recommend this book for children (boys and girls) between the ages of two and six years old. Children already familiar with the cartoon will probably enjoy the book more, but familiarity with the cartoon isn’t required to enjoy the book. I would also recommend that parents/caretakers read the book to the children and encourage them to answer the questions and lift the flaps. Not only is the book interactive between child and book, but can also be interactive between parent and child.
This book sells for $5.99 in the U.S. and $8.99 in Canada.
ISBN: 0-689-85236-3
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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