“Why worry?” Because the potentially lethal events depicted warrant it.
A pair of friendly insects experiences a series of worrisome events, but each has radically different reactions.
Although Grasshopper thinks it is “a fine day,” her neighbor Cricket has a bad feeling about it. Indeed, as he makes his way over for tea, a crow captures the two friends. Cricket frets, declaring vindication, although Grasshopper persistently assures him that “everything will turn out all right.” She gets them out of the bird’s clutches, but they tumble from one metaphoric pickle into another, relying on luck for the rest of the adventure until they serendipitously return home. Once, Grasshopper shows a sensitive acknowledgement of Cricket’s fears, when she wraps her arms around Cricket while he cries. The rest of the time, she dismisses his concerns and concentrates on the fun she’s having. Cricket’s worries prove monumentally prescient, and Grasshopper’s reassurances come across as uncaring placations. The backmatter essay on “Children and Worry” by two psychotherapists, intended for adult readers, explores why children (of an undefined age) may experience worry and offers a bulleted list of suggestions with sample dialogue. However, the life events they suggest that may provoke worry (conflict, bullying, divorce, bereavement), while grave, don’t have the same stakes as the life-threatening events the story characters face. The soft edges of the pastel-hued illustrations recall fuzzy felt. Their bright cheeriness tempers the scary events of the story and matches the pedantic tone. Large type and a fair amount of negative space make for appealing layouts.
“Why worry?” Because the potentially lethal events depicted warrant it. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: May 7, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5132-6200-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: West Margin Press
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
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
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
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)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
