Either sweet or treacly depending on any given reader’s mindset and love for the classic.
The Velveteen Rabbit shares all the ways he’ll be there for his beloved friends.
“When it’s dark and when it’s sunny, / I will always be your bunny. // If the world feels like a muddle, / come on over for a cuddle.” Against simple backgrounds that keep eyes focused on the action and the relationship, Swaney places charming, seemingly watercolor illustrations of diverse children interacting with the Velveteen Rabbit, a long, brown-and-white bunny who is, of course, “alive.” From snuggling in bed and refereeing a sibling disagreement to either moping indoors through the rain or enjoying the puddles, the situations will be familiar to young readers. Though the rabbit lacks a mouth, both the line of his chin and the area where the white of his belly meets brown suggest one, and his emotions are clear through body language. The tiny trim size makes this ideal for sharing one-on-one, and the gift plate on the front endpaper suggests personal rather than public-library use. But the audience remains a question; some vocabulary suits this to older children (“morale,” “BFF,” “ref”), who would also truly understand and appreciate the original Velveteen Rabbit book, but the rhyming and simple pictures are aimed at a younger age group.
Either sweet or treacly depending on any given reader’s mindset and love for the classic. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Dec. 24, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-9848-9341-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Oct. 8, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 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
Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children.
Interior decorator and TV personality Gaines invites readers to open their eyes and exercise their imaginations.
There’s a world to be explored out there—and only children can really take part. What does “looking for wonder” entail? Slowing down and looking up, around, and everywhere. At the outset, a group of eager, racially diverse young friends—including one who uses a wheelchair—are fully prepared for a grand adventure. They offer tips about how and where to look: Why, there’s a “grand parade” of marching ants! And, these kids add, perspective is key. A rainy day might signal gloom to some, but to those filled with wonder, showers bring “magic puddles for play”; a forest is “an enchanted world,” the ocean conceals “a spectacular city,” and the night sky boasts “extraordinary sights.” The takeaway: “Wonder is never in short supply.” It’s a robust, empowering message, as is the exhortation to “keep your mind open, and let curiosity guide the way.” Youngsters are also advised to share their discoveries. The upbeat narrative is delivered in clunky verse, but the colorful cartoonish illustrations brimming with activity and good cheer (including some adorable anthropomorphized animals in the backgrounds) make up for the textual lapses and should motivate readers to embark on their own “wonder explorations.”
Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9781400247417
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tommy Nelson
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
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