Open Bearnard’s book for an alternative concept of bravery with humor, sweetness, and friendship at the core.
Bearnard gets the chance to be in a book and must embrace his sense of self in the process.
“I have always wanted to be in a book!” declares Bearnard as he reads his invitation from the Queen of Storybook Land. The anthropomorphic (though unclothed) bear imagines his story being read by children (with diverse skin tones) at bedtime, in school, or on the playground. Illustrator Saburi’s chunky black outlines couple with cozy pink, blue, and brown fills, making for relaxing illustrations that nevertheless pop. Most spreads contain a gentle floral wallpaper pattern in the background, building a homey feel, bolstered by bold typeface reminiscent of handwriting. Bearnard brainstorms with duck friend Gertie about the possibility of being a knight, an astronaut, or “Super Bear!” in the storybook. This provides an entry point for caregivers to engage with children about what they would be if starring in a book. Bearnard’s confidence waffles as he tries to emulate classic bear stories without success. Gertie guides Bearnard to see himself as brave and worthy just by being himself. Underwood’s social-emotional narrative and the action-oriented illustrations allow for layered reading—if a child is not ready to discuss what might make them brave, they will most certainly be entertained by the imaginative adventures of Bearnard and Gertie.
Open Bearnard’s book for an alternative concept of bravery with humor, sweetness, and friendship at the core. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-62779-757-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Godwin Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 20, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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