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RETURN OF THE SHADOWS

The fine poet and picture-book author (d. 1984) left this intriguing tale of shadows abandoning their owners to experiment with incongruities: camel with iceberg, skyscraper with jungle tree, bike with plane. At noon, they ``disappear[ed] entirely...without anything familiar to hide under''; lengthening, they grow bolder, but night—the ``terrible time in the no place of shadows''—sends them back to their true owners. Farber's wonderfully fresh language is echoed in Baruffi's spare, clean art—a perfect setting for these arrant wayfarers, whether boldly black or elusively dim. A delightfully imaginative variant on the theme of ``Home Sweet Home.'' (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 30, 1992

ISBN: 0-06-020518-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1992

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HOME

Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions.

Ellis, known for her illustrations for Colin Meloy’s Wildwood series, here riffs on the concept of “home.”

Shifting among homes mundane and speculative, contemporary and not, Ellis begins and ends with views of her own home and a peek into her studio. She highlights palaces and mansions, but she also takes readers to animal homes and a certain famously folkloric shoe (whose iconic Old Woman manages a passel of multiethnic kids absorbed in daring games). One spread showcases “some folks” who “live on the road”; a band unloads its tour bus in front of a theater marquee. Ellis’ compelling ink and gouache paintings, in a palette of blue-grays, sepia and brick red, depict scenes ranging from mythical, underwater Atlantis to a distant moonscape. Another spread, depicting a garden and large building under connected, transparent domes, invites readers to wonder: “Who in the world lives here? / And why?” (Earth is seen as a distant blue marble.) Some of Ellis’ chosen depictions, oddly juxtaposed and stripped of any historical or cultural context due to the stylized design and spare text, become stereotypical. “Some homes are boats. / Some homes are wigwams.” A sailing ship’s crew seems poised to land near a trio of men clad in breechcloths—otherwise unidentified and unremarked upon.

Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-7636-6529-6

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2014

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THE TROUBLE WITH CHILDREN (ACCORDING TO DOG)

This humorous, lively dog’s-eye view provides gentle instruction for interacting with pets.

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In Weaver’s charming picture book, a dog reassesses his not-so-glowing review of little kids.

“Families are OVERRATED!” as far as the bluish-gray hound named Dog is concerned. While he approves of the adults in the household, the four small children are for the birds. In an attempt to resolve his conflicted feelings, Dog pours his heart out to a therapist scribbling on a notepad. Dog lists his grievances via couplet rhymes: “And many times I’ve found their dirty toys INSIDE MY BOWL! / It’s obvious these little humans have no SELF-CONTROL!” With key words highlighted in colorful and bolded fonts for more emphasis, his voice now has added urgency. Soylu’s lively drawings in muted tones are wondrously effective in animating Dog; his hanging jowls, big eyes, and floppy ears all convey believably beleaguered expressions. Lifelike details enhance the dramatic effect of the children’s boisterous antics. At the end, Weaver provides a list of do’s and don’ts for interacting with pets. Dog lovers can identify the dog breed silhouettes on the endpapers. Kids will get a kick out of Dog’s opinion of humans and perhaps recognize some behaviors to reconsider.

This humorous, lively dog’s-eye view provides gentle instruction for interacting with pets.

Pub Date: July 16, 2024

ISBN: 9781736267370

Page Count: 40

Publisher: A Little Offbeat Publishing

Review Posted Online: April 26, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024

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