by Leda Schubert & illustrated by Mary Azarian ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 24, 2005
Rural Northern Vermont is heartwarming through all seasons when neighbors help each other. At four a.m. one winter morning, the temperature two degrees below zero, an older man named Darrell pulls on his boots and heads out to plow his neighbors’ driveways. One neighbor child jumps into his lap and helps steer for a minute. The next vignette shows spring, in which Darrell chops wood; the recipients don’t know when they’ll be able to pay, but Darrell cares more about keeping their kids warm through the spring chill. Summer and fall show Darrell helping again—though never fixing his own barn roof, a fact that worries his wife. When gusty winds blow the barn roof clean away, neighbors gather for a roof-raising and some functional gratitude. In this community, organic warmth emerges from action. Azarian’s folksy, unpretentious woodcuts are hand-tinted with cheerful watercolors, bringing to life the four New England seasons and the friendly, practical relationships they can foster. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: Oct. 24, 2005
ISBN: 0-618-41605-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2005
Share your opinion of this book
More by Leda Schubert
BOOK REVIEW
by Leda Schubert ; illustrated by Clover Robin
BOOK REVIEW
by Leda Schubert ; illustrated by Paul Meisel
BOOK REVIEW
by Leda Schubert ; illustrated by Maya Ish-Shalom
by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024
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
Share your opinion of this book
More by Marilyn Sadler
BOOK REVIEW
by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis
BOOK REVIEW
by Eric Comstock & Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Eric Comstock
BOOK REVIEW
by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Ard Hoyt
by Chloe Perkins ; illustrated by Sandra Equihua ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 13, 2016
A nice but not requisite purchase.
A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.
Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.
A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
Share your opinion of this book
More In The Series
adapted by Hannah Eliot ; illustrated by Nivea Ortiz
by Chloe Perkins ; illustrated by Dinara Mirtalipova
by Chloe Perkins ; illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan
More by Chloe Perkins
BOOK REVIEW
by Chloe Perkins ; illustrated by Dinara Mirtalipova
BOOK REVIEW
by Chloe Perkins ; illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
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
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.