Yay for Leilong.
Sauropod Leilong loves books and stories, especially about dinosaurs.
Leilong and his friends Maggie, Mo, and Max are headed to the library for storytime, traveling on Leilong’s very large back. There are hints that dinosaurs are not entirely unusual in this city. There is a refueling station that’s specifically for dinosaurs. When he moves too fast, police warn him to slow down. But Leilong is denied entrance to the library because he cannot fit through the door and doesn’t have a library card. So he pokes his head in a window to hear the story. The children enjoy “Little Red Riding Hood,” shouting responses as the librarian reads. Leilong becomes so involved that his shouts shake the entire building, and he is banished for breaking the rules. When all the children leave with him in solidarity, the librarians reconsider and come up with an ingenious plan to share books with everyone. Text and illustrations are perfectly matched here. Via Wang’s smooth translation from Chinese, Liu employs simple, direct third-person narration, enhanced by intriguing dialogue and winning characters. Lynn’s intricate cartoons provide scope and setting and much of the fun as well as thought-provoking details. Humans all have pale skin, and Leilong is gloriously green. Leilong is met variously with laughter, amazement, and quite a few frowns, and the initial reactions at the library indicate that sauropods are not always welcome. Young readers will come to understand an underlying gentle message of recognizing and embracing differences.
Yay for Leilong. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-776573-31-8
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Gecko Press
Review Posted Online: June 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
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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