A creative and unique way to explore poetry and emotions with young children.
A children’s book of poems about feelings.
Austin explores emotions through animals in this picture book of poetry for young readers, pairing each feeling with an animal that embodies its essence. Readers meet the Butterfly of Joy as she “lands on the cosmos / flower, for just / a moment / spreading her wings.” The Mosquito of Worry brings “so many fears / I can’t slap away,” while the Goldfish of Boredom “bumps against his bowl / starved for something different.” An Octopus of Curiosity sifts through jewels in a sunken treasure box, “navigating through mazes, remembering solutions, and filling / gaps in knowledge until she knows a lot.” A dog with its tail between its legs is associated with disappointment, while an industrious spider feels satisfaction upon completing her web. Watch out for the Fox of Jealousy, who “stalks and creeps / unbidden / unwanted”; the Wolf of Fear, who “prowls for his prey, / lands in a single leap / in the shadows in your room”; and the Maggot of Disgust that “squirms in its vile pile.” Austin’s poems are short but insightful. Her language is lively and engaging; she describes a trumpet swan that “glides on glassy darkness” and a snail that leaves behind a trail “maybe / of jitters / maybe / of joy.” Some of the animal-emotion pairs are less surprising, like the Turtle of Loneliness, the Bull of Anger, and the Peacock of Pride. Baratta’s illustrations are intricately crafted—her animals look lifelike and soft enough to cuddle. Each painting uses a bold, often primary color scheme in a setting that connects the animal to its corresponding poem. The illustrator also alternates between full-page images and smaller ones that make good use of white space. The poetry text, which perhaps should have been larger in size for easier reading, switches between black and white, depending on the background color.
A creative and unique way to explore poetry and emotions with young children.Pub Date: Nov. 14, 2023
ISBN: 9798987478035
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Susan Schadt Press
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
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