Be prepared to take a walk in nature looking for hugs after sharing this one.
A young girl compares hugs to things found in nature as she explores with her dad.
“A speckled egg can be a hug / nestled in a tree. // Eggs hold hatchlings / warm and snug. / Your hug is for / holding me.” Feng’s soft, pastel-colored illustrations show the father lifting the girl up to see the nest; the next page presents a close-up of their faces, full of wonder, as they see the mother bird and one egg cracked open to reveal the baby. But it won’t be quite as easy for young children to make some of the other connections, as the metaphors are not as strong as in Wheeler’s earlier Babies Can Sleep Anywhere (2017). Still, if the metaphors are obscure, the sentiment rings true. A cocoon is a hug; a page turn reveals a field of butterflies: “Your hug amazes me.” A flower bud holds the bloom: “Your hug feels safe to me.” And a seashell is a hug for the animals that may live in it: “Your hug is home to me.” The final two spreads revisit the comparisons: “Your hug was made / for holding me… // my hug is for holding YOU!” Feng’s artwork is lovely, stylized flora and fauna filling the pages, and the love between the two is evident. Both father and daughter have light skin, straight black hair, and rosy cheeks.
Be prepared to take a walk in nature looking for hugs after sharing this one. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Dec. 11, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4197-2826-6
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: Sept. 16, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2018
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school...
The familiar theme of the challenges facing a new kid in town is given an original treatment by photographer Border in this book of photos of three-dimensional objects in a simple modeled landscape.
Peanut Butter is represented by a slice of white bread spread with the popular condiment. The other characters in the story—a hamburger with a pair of hot dogs in tow, a bowl of alphabet soup, a meatball jumping a rope of spaghetti, a carton of French fries and a pink cupcake—are represented by skillfully crafted models of these foods, anthropomorphized using simple wire construction. Rejected by each character in turn in his search for playmates, Peanut Butter discovers in the end that Jelly is his true match (not Cupcake, as the title suggests), perhaps because she is the only one who looks like him, being a slice of white bread spread with jelly. The friendly foods end up happily playing soccer together. Some parents may have trouble with the unabashedly happy depiction of carbs and American junk food (no carrots or celery sticks in this landscape), and others may find themselves troubled by the implication that friendship across difference is impossible.
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school experiences. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 29, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-399-16773-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series.
Another creature is on the loose.
The long-running series continues its successful formula with this Hallmark card of a book, which features bright illustrations and catchy rhymes. This time, the mythical creature the racially diverse children set out to catch is an absent mom who does it all (lists of descriptors include the words banker, caregiver, nurse, doctor, driver, chef, housekeeper, teacher, entertainer, playmate, laundry service, problem solver, handywoman, cleaner, and alarm clock) but doesn’t seem to have a job outside the home and is inexplicably a dinosaur. As the children prepare gifts and a meal for her, the text becomes an ode to the skills the Mamasaurus possesses (“Day or night she’s always there. / She meets every wish and need”) and values she instills (“Sometimes life can mean hard work,” “kindness matters,” and “what counts is doing your best”). This well-intentioned selection veers into cliche generously sprinkled with saccharine but manages to redeem itself with its appreciation for mothers and all that they may do. Endpapers include a “to” and “from” page framed in a heart, as well as a page where young gift givers or recipients can draw a picture of their Mamasaurus.
A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781728274300
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
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