THE GREAT HENRY HOPENDOWER

Name: THE GREAT HENRY HOPENDOWER
Author: Justin Roberts
ISBN: 978-0-399-25744-5

by Justin Roberts ; illustrated by Deborah Hocking ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 6, 2017

Ultimately, however, the disconnect between the cheerful illustrations and the serious subject matter is disconcerting and...

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A young boy performs a magic trick (of a sort) in memory of his grandfather.

Henry is a smiling, round-headed, white boy who bounces out of bed one morning and decides to seek some magic. He dons a red plaid jacket, packs up a battered leather suitcase, and heads to his backyard. Along the way he chats with his mom in the kitchen and remembers time spent with his grandfather. Pulling a black top hat from his suitcase, Henry fishes about inside it for a rabbit. Initially disappointed to feel nothing at all, Henry is heartened by remembering his grandfather’s admonition that “magic is…all around.” Readers may not quite follow Henry’s logic when a rabbit still doesn’t appear, but he’s perfectly satisfied, particularly when he discovers that pancakes are on the breakfast menu. Roberts’ sophisticated text tells a bit more than it shows, and some of his descriptions may be a bit obscure (will young readers grasp that “magic-scented water” is most likely aftershave?). Hocking’s illustrations, created with watercolor, graphite, colored pencil, and Photoshop, faithfully and charmingly depict the characters and action. Sepia tones indicate sections when Henry is reminiscing, and visual details fill in some of the family’s history.

Ultimately, however, the disconnect between the cheerful illustrations and the serious subject matter is disconcerting and may make it difficult for Henry to find an appreciative audience. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: June 6, 2017

ISBN: 978-0-399-25744-5

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Putnam

Review Posted Online: March 14, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2017

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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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
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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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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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)