Fun; you might want to make room for this one.
When is close too close—and high too high?
A little anteater loves riding on Mama’s back. He gets lonesome sometimes, so he invites some friends along, and each accepts with alacrity. One by one, various animals—including Badger, Duck, Hare, Frog (who brings his whole family!), and Fox—step up. A few appreciate the new perch better than their own familiar hangouts; others comment on the pleasant surroundings. While the real estate on her back grows more crowded and the animal pile gets taller, good-natured, accommodating Mama remains silent, though the illustrations depict her looking doubtful. Eventually something’s gotta give: When a heron swoops down on the precarious pile on Mama’s back, uh-oh! But all’s well that ends well. No animals were harmed in the telling of this story, and Mama’s back turns out to be the best place in the world…for a little anteater. This sweet, gently humorous, though unoriginal, Swiss import, originally published in German, reassures children that their own perfect places are always close. The engaging illustrations, rendered with mostly muted shades, are enlivened with occasional pops of bright colors but are in places busy, with some small details hard to distinguish. Onomatopoeic animal sounds interspersed throughout enhance the comical proceedings, and a sly 90-degree turn midbook displaying the tower of animals atop Mama will capture children’s attention, as will the final avalanche. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Fun; you might want to make room for this one. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4486-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Unusual illustrations enhance an engaging, informative narrative.
What can a worm do?
A little worm sets off on a “twirl” to “see the world.” But when it overhears a human referring to it as “just a worm,” its feelings are hurt. The worm asks other critters—including a caterpillar, a spider, a dragonfly—what they can do. After each answer (turn into a butterfly, spin silk thread, fly), the worm becomes more and more dejected because it can’t do any of these things. “Maybe I am just a worm.” But then the worm encounters a ladybug, who eats aphids and other insects, and the worm realizes that it eats dead plants and animals and keeps gardens clean. And though the worm can’t pollinate like the bee, it does create castings (poop) that help plants grow and stay healthy. These abilities, the worm realizes in triumph, are important! The cleverness of this story lies in its lighthearted, effective dissemination of information about various insects as well as earthworms. It doesn’t hurt that the expressive little worm is downright adorable, with emotions that will resonate with anyone who has felt unimportant. The stunning illustrations are done in quilled paper—a centuries-old technique that involves assembling strips of colored paper into shapes—which adds sparkle and originality. A tutorial of how to make a quilled butterfly and a page on earthworm facts round out the book. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Unusual illustrations enhance an engaging, informative narrative. (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 14, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-06-321256-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
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