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MAPLE AND ROSEMARY

Name: MAPLE AND ROSEMARY
Author: Alison James
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4967-5

by Alison James ; illustrated by Jennifer K. Mann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 28, 2023

Quiet and quirky.

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A lonely maple tree learns about friendship when she meets a girl named Rosemary.

The text uses a traditional storytelling style, opening with “Once there was a tree”—the same opening words as Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree (1964)—and concluding with a happy-ever-after ending. In between lies a simple tale that follows the maple’s thoughts and emotions, from the appearance of tan-skinned Rosemary as a friend to Rosemary’s sudden disappearance to a reconnection some years later and on into Rosemary’s elder years. The text varies in tone, by turns whimsical, didactic, and even dramatic—although still humorous—when the tree misses Rosemary: “Maple wanted the winter to cover her with snow and never ever melt.” Although the text gives Maple and her neighboring trees personalities, thoughts, and emotions, the mixed-media art offers no hint of that—hooray, no eyeball-rolling cedars! In fact, the art renders the tree’s physical transitions over seasons and years with detailed realism and vibrant color while also supporting Maple—not Rosemary—as the protagonist, making the tree more three-dimensional than animals and humans. The art’s progression of seasons makes it seem as if Rosemary suddenly leaves Maple before their first winter together, but it’s unclear why—as well as why Rosemary stays away for years. Otherwise, art, text, and layout successfully convey a sweet story of friendship that will comfort lonely or anxious children. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Quiet and quirky. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Feb. 28, 2023

ISBN: 978-0-8234-4967-5

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Neal Porter/Holiday House

Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: June 21, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

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FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.

Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)