A charming addition to a winning series.
The fourth entry in the Maple & Willow series finds the sisters excited about Christmas preparations, especially getting their first real Christmas tree.
This year the sisters are going to a tree farm with their parents to select a real tree. But as soon as the tree is brought into the house, Maple begins to sneeze uncontrollably. Their tree must be moved outside, and little sister Willow has something unkind to say about Christmas being ruined. Willow feels remorseful about hurting her big sister’s feelings, so she creeps downstairs at night and decorates a small stepladder with lights and ornaments. Willow even lets Maple put the star on top of their creative Christmas ladder-tree. The understated humor, spare language, and white backgrounds convey a calm, minimalist world in which Christmas isn’t overwhelming and sisters always work out their differences. Endearing illustrations in pencil with digital coloring show the two round-headed, light-skinned little girls enjoying their time together, from sledding to baking to building an unusual snowman. The illustrations of snow-covered evergreen trees are particularly intriguing, with fluffy layers of snow floating on prickly green tree branches with astonishing verisimilitude. The final, wordless page shows the sisters’ Christmas gifts under the ladder, with a small, tree-shaped pot of rosemary for Maple and a wrapped watering can for the sisters to share.
A charming addition to a winning series. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-399-16756-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2016
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BOOK REVIEW
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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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