ANTON AND THE BATTLE

Name: ANTON AND THE BATTLE
Author: Ole Könnecke
ISBN: 978-1-877579-26-4

by Ole Könnecke ; illustrated by Ole Könnecke ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2013

Five-year-olds the world over (this was first published in Germany) will recognize the conversations and the friendship in...

bookshelf

Little boys and their (imaginary) toys make for a very real story of rivalry and friendship.

Anton wears a swashbuckling hat with a feather; Luke wears a Viking sort of helmet. The two boys meet in the slightest suggestion of outdoors: a bit of squiggly grass drawn on white space. Anton announces to Luke: “I’m stronger than you,” to which Luke retorts, “Very funny!”—and so it begins. Anton lifts a stone “this big,” while Luke lifts one “THIS big!” Escalation escalates. Luke carries a whole piano, so he is stronger and much, much louder. But Anton retaliates with drums. By the time they get to bombs and swinging tigers and lions by the tail, alert children with see that the red and blue outlines of their bigger-louder-stronger tools are really floating on the white background of their imaginations. But then, a “big dog” chases both up a tree (children will notice it is actually a cute little puppy), and the boys begin to compare how hungry they are and how big a cake they will eat if they ever get down. Which they do, arguing about who is faster all the way home.

Five-year-olds the world over (this was first published in Germany) will recognize the conversations and the friendship in this sweet book. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: March 1, 2013

ISBN: 978-1-877579-26-4

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Gecko Press

Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
SOUNDS GOOD!
by Ole Könnecke & Hans Könnecke ; translated by Melody Shaw ; illustrated by Ole Könnecke

- BOOK REVIEW
DULCINEA IN THE FORBIDDEN FOREST
by Ole Könnecke ; illustrated by Ole Könnecke ; translated by Shelley Tanaka

- BOOK REVIEW
SPORTS ARE FANTASTIC FUN!
by Ole Könnecke ; illustrated by Ole Könnecke

bookshelf

HELLO THERE, SUNSHINE

by Tabitha Brown ; illustrated by Olivia Duchess ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 11, 2025

Being kind and helpful lights up the day from within in this inspiring and idyllic slice-of-life tale.

bookshelf

Actor, social media star, and entrepreneur Brown pens a joyful paean to positive thinking in her children’s debut.

Brown-skinned Tab rides a strawberry-themed bike, accompanied by a curly-haired black dog, Grady. Tab’s dazzling smile and wide eyes signal the upbeat theme echoed in the text, celebrating the sun’s warmth, which “fills everyone up with joy.” But Tab’s mood shifts, as it’s a “cloudy and gray” June day. Alert readers will spot the dog’s smiling countenance and note glimpses of sunny yellow butterflies and flowers. Mama’s reassurance that there’s “always a chance” for sunshine also underscores the optimism. Tab and Grady bike through suburban streets “to find the sun.” Along the way, the two stop to assist a neighbor building a birdhouse, loft a kite for friends Frankie and Fonte, and lend a hand to others, all while still having fun. Mama steers Tab toward an eventual understanding of the real source of joy: Though the sun didn’t appear, “I brightened everyone’s day!” The illustrations subtly underscore the message of this radiant story as touches of gold lighten the palette, which ends with sunny brilliance. Most characters read Black, though Tab’s community includes people who vary in skin tone, body type, and ability.

Being kind and helpful lights up the day from within in this inspiring and idyllic slice-of-life tale. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: March 11, 2025

ISBN: 9780063342262

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: yesterday

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

bookshelf

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...

bookshelf

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)