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SO COLD!

Name: SO COLD!
Author: John Coy
ISBN: 9781681342948

by John Coy ; illustrated by Chris Park ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 10, 2024

Captures the delight of a frigid day.

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Fun in sub-freezing conditions.

It is exactly “twenty-three below zero,” Dad announces. Mom leaves, reminding father and son (who narrates) to dress warmly. Donning outdoor garb, the young protagonist also adopts a new nickname: “Freezeman.” Outside, the pair take part in a series of activities, some of which they set up the night before. They watch a helium balloon shrink and popped soap bubbles shed a thin skin. The child uses a frozen banana to hammer in a nail. Boiling water flung from a cup forms a snowy mist; hot maple syrup dropped into snow becomes a candy treat. Back inside, the balloon regains its shape; father and child enjoy the maple candy, along with some hot chocolate, before a roaring fire. The visuals capture the joys of winter. Blocky, printlike art shows the angular figures with berry-blue and pink hair, while clothing, cars, and houses, depicted in neon hues, seem to glow. Sometimes the editorial hand slips, however: The narrator describes putting on a scarf, though the accessory is never depicted. The book doesn’t address safety concerns about venturing out in such extreme weather. The characters’ pale faces are bare, the wind chill is forgotten, and their outdoor time isn’t measured. Still, the joy of winter comes through clearly; many readers will be eager to duplicate the pair’s experiments.

Captures the delight of a frigid day. (information on the activities mentioned) (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Nov. 10, 2024

ISBN: 9781681342948

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Minnesota Historical Society Press

Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

- BOOK REVIEW
STOKES
by Ty Chapman & John Coy ; illustrated by Lonnie Ollivierre

- BOOK REVIEW
THE SECRET OF FALL
by John Coy ; illustrated by Kristen Adam

- BOOK REVIEW
WHERE WE COME FROM
by Diane Wilson , Sun Yung Shin , Shannon Gibney & John Coy ; illustrated by Dion MBD

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
A PERFECT PLACE TO PLAY
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Jim Valeri

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY FROM THE CRAYONS

by Drew Daywalt ; illustrated by Oliver Jeffers ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 4, 2025

Another endearing and amusing outing with these winsome characters.

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The Crayons love a holiday, and Mother’s Day is no exception.

Every color is different, and so is every mom. Purple’s mother, seated cross-legged in a yoga pose, “doesn’t color inside the lines.” Red’s works tirelessly to support her family, which sometimes means missing holidays. White Crayon adores his mother, “even though he can’t see her” (the accompanying image shows both crayons fading into the white background), while pale lime green Esteban’s mom supports his “dreams of adventure” by helping him pack. All the Crayons celebrate their families on this day, and not all the parents look like their children or are mothers. Laudably, Daywalt and Jeffers depict a variety of different families, allowing many readers to feel seen: Black can’t contain her love for both her mothers, the hair-covered brownish-beige Barfy Crayon embraces his stepmom, Chunky Toddler (a chubby crayon with a bite taken out of him) pays tribute to his dad on Mother’s Day, Yellow and Orange honor their grandmother, and Maroon, presumably adopted, sings the praises of his mom, a pot of glue who literally holds the family together. As in previous Crayon books, Jeffers’ elegantly quirky and humorous illustrations complement Daywalt’s delightful text, which adeptly balances humor and heart.

Another endearing and amusing outing with these winsome characters. (Picture book. 4-8)