Hapless Wolf gets the girl, though young readers aren’t likely to “get” love from this entry.
A valentine entry in Lallemand and Thuillier’s series about Wolf.
Lonely Wolf is tired of seeing all the happily paired animals every spring when he himself has no one. So he sets out to find a mate, beginning by asking advice from wise Mr. Owl, who says “You don’t find love, you just fall in love.” Amelia Bedelia–like, Wolf repeatedly throws himself to the ground, to no avail. His friends Alfred, Alex, Big Louie, and Joshua all have advice as well: make yourself attractive, stand out from the crowd, say romantic things, give flowers. But Wolf does all that and is still given the brushoff by a rude, haughty female wolf. Discouraged, he collapses on the road, discarding his sunglasses, cowboy boots, and flowers, only to be bumped into by another lady wolf, this one literally putting hearts in his eyes. And so young readers are introduced to the concept of love at first sight. Thuillier’s wolves have elongated snouts. After falling in love, Wolf’s alert if dim demeanor is transformed by heavy-lidded eyes and an open mouth. Wolfette has curled eyelashes, a swoosh of hair on her head, and a pink bow in her tail. Fans of the series will surely notice that though this seems to present Wolf and Wolfette’s first meeting, she is a character in other books that are already out in English.
Hapless Wolf gets the girl, though young readers aren’t likely to “get” love from this entry. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Dec. 12, 2017
ISBN: 978-2-7338-5244-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Auzou Publishing
Review Posted Online: Sept. 17, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
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)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children.
Interior decorator and TV personality Gaines invites readers to open their eyes and exercise their imaginations.
There’s a world to be explored out there—and only children can really take part. What does “looking for wonder” entail? Slowing down and looking up, around, and everywhere. At the outset, a group of eager, racially diverse young friends—including one who uses a wheelchair—are fully prepared for a grand adventure. They offer tips about how and where to look: Why, there’s a “grand parade” of marching ants! And, these kids add, perspective is key. A rainy day might signal gloom to some, but to those filled with wonder, showers bring “magic puddles for play”; a forest is “an enchanted world,” the ocean conceals “a spectacular city,” and the night sky boasts “extraordinary sights.” The takeaway: “Wonder is never in short supply.” It’s a robust, empowering message, as is the exhortation to “keep your mind open, and let curiosity guide the way.” Youngsters are also advised to share their discoveries. The upbeat narrative is delivered in clunky verse, but the colorful cartoonish illustrations brimming with activity and good cheer (including some adorable anthropomorphized animals in the backgrounds) make up for the textual lapses and should motivate readers to embark on their own “wonder explorations.”
Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9781400247417
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tommy Nelson
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
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