This warmhearted, endearing volume encourages children to enjoy nature and treat each day as an adventure.
When winter comes, a girl and her dog explore a snowy world in this picture-book sequel.
The girl and dog welcome the first signs of freezing weather as an opportunity to set out on their own. They navigate the snow-covered woods, wandering “where no one else goes” and finding stories in the imprints of wild animals (“Tracks left by cougars, / foxes, robins and pine martens”). With no adult in sight, winter presents an opportunity to have “a world all to themselves,” an urge any young child should understand. Because neither the girl nor dog is named, young readers can easily place themselves in the story and imagine that the escapades are theirs. The text conveys a deep affection for nature and the undisturbed wild: “There’s nothing like this world, / this playground called winter.” The duo’s exploits are entertaining and nonthreatening (“This is when the girl and her dog dance / When they leave everything in life up to chance”). After the weather gets too cold, they curl up together for warmth. Even as darkness falls, they decide to search for new marvels in a landscape transformed by moonlight. Stetsiv’s richly detailed illustrations emphasize the overall sense of playfulness and joyful discovery. The full-page drawings reflect the cool colors of winter: browns, blues, and white, brightened by the girl’s colorful snowsuit, hat, and scarf. Lighthearted pictures emphasize fun, showing the dog digging caves in the snow while the girl laughs or the canine happily licking the girl’s face. A nightscape washed in shades of blue reflects the peacefulness that follows a busy day. McKinley (The Adventures of a Girl & Her Dog: In the Mountains, 2015, etc.) tells the tale mostly in rhymes, some cutesy (“toeses” and “noses”), although others seem forced (“ice” and “life”), and occasionally the rhyme is lost altogether. Sometimes the text lacks clarity; what is meant, for example, by a world “where all traces of life vanish”? But these are minor inconsistencies in an overall appealing appreciation of winter.
This warmhearted, endearing volume encourages children to enjoy nature and treat each day as an adventure.Pub Date: Dec. 3, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-9858924-4-9
Page Count: 47
Publisher: Brigham Distributing
Review Posted Online: Jan. 28, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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The greeting-card art and jokey rhymes work for the baby-shower market but not for the youngest readers.
Animal parents declare their love for their offspring through rhymed puns and sentimental art.
The title sets the scene for what’s to come: The owl asks the owlet as they fly together, “WHOO loves you?”; the kangaroo and joey make each other “very HOPPY”; and the lioness and cub are a “PURRRFECT pair.” Most of the puns are both unimaginative and groanworthy, and they are likely to go over the heads of toddlers, who are not know for their wordplay abilities. The text is set in abcb quatrains split over two double-page spreads. On each spread, one couplet appears on the verso within a lightly decorated border on pastel pages. On the recto, a full-bleed portrait of the animal and baby appears in softly colored and cozy images. Hearts are prominent on every page, floating between the parent and baby as if it is necessary to show the love between each pair. Although these critters are depicted in mistily conceived natural habitats and are unclothed, they are human stand-ins through and through.
The greeting-card art and jokey rhymes work for the baby-shower market but not for the youngest readers. (Board book. 6 mos-2)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-7282-1374-3
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: June 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
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