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SPROUT, SEED, SPROUT!

Name: SPROUT, SEED, SPROUT!
Author: Annika Dunklee
ISBN: 978-1-77147-308-8

by Annika Dunklee ; illustrated by Carey Sookocheff ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 15, 2019

This quiet book effectively describes the meditative, sometimes-frustrating process that growing a plant entails.

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A young child experiences the work, waiting, and reward of growing an avocado tree from seed.

In fewer than 150 words, Dunklee traces the path from seed to tree. When an avocado seed pops free during dinner prep, a smiling child retrieves it, pokes it with toothpicks for supports, and sets it atop a glass of water in hopes that it will sprout. The child and a pet cat work side by side to nurture the new plant. Each double-page spread captures one step in the journey that includes both the practical (potting, watering, ensuring sunlight, and replanting outside) and the whimsical (an encouraging song, lucky coins, and “supportive friends”). Counting to three creates the gentle rhythm of the story. Actions are often completed in three steps and described in three words: “One pot. Two careful hands. Three scoops of soil. Pat, pat, pat.” Similarly, three words, sometimes repeated, emphasize key emotions, as “I…GIVE…UP!” gives way to “HOORAY! HOORAY! HOORAY!” Simple illustrations, primarily in soft shades of blue, yellow, and avocado, show steps that readers could duplicate at home. The cat’s attention (or inattention) adds humor; its glowering inclusion with a stuffed bunny and toy robot as one of the “supportive friends” is particularly funny. The child and their parent present white.

This quiet book effectively describes the meditative, sometimes-frustrating process that growing a plant entails. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: March 15, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-77147-308-8

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Owlkids Books

Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019

Categories:

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

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WILLIAM'S GETAWAY
by Annika Dunklee ; illustrated by Yong Ling Kang

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EEE-MOO!
by Annika Dunklee ; illustrated by Brian Won

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A FIRE TRUCK FOR CHUCK
by Annika Dunklee ; illustrated by Cathon

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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)