An original and thought-provoking exploration of the rhythms of friendship.
It is common to associate cages with imprisonment, but what of the cage’s point of view?
The book’s title is an aphorism attributed to Franz Kafka; it clearly stimulated a flight of fancy in Fagan. He banishes his subject to an attic corner where it feels “useless and unwanted.” Despite admonishments from the suitcase and guitar, the cage maneuvers itself to the window and jumps. Decorated with heart-shaped scrollwork, this wrought-iron home longs for an inhabitant. It strikes up conversations with all the birds that happen by, from a hummingbird to an owl, trying to persuade them of the merits of caged life. Blues and oranges dominate Erfanian’s vibrant illustrations. The flowers that grace the rolling hills and the texture applied to the wooded backgrounds create a cozy tapestry effect further enhanced by the soft edges produced by the acrylic and oil pastels. Each wild creature rejects the cage’s logic, and after a lonely night, there is a discernable difference in its approach to the frightened bird that lands nearby. The cage listens to the pet’s tale of abandonment without pressure, simply keeping it company. Ultimately, an invitation is extended: “Do not worry anymore. Hop inside where it is warm and safe. For I have come to save you. And you have come to save me.”
An original and thought-provoking exploration of the rhythms of friendship. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: May 16, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-55498-861-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Groundwood
Review Posted Online: March 5, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2017
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A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
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
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