The catchy cover of this Australian import nicely sets up the warm and loving story within.
The phrase “there’s no such thing as too many books” sums up this whimsical story.
Angus and Lucy don’t have a television set, a car or even a house (the illustrations show a trailer). What they do have is hundreds and hundreds of books. They are piled, propped and stacked everywhere, overwhelming their small home (a humorous cartoon double-page spread shows books pouring out of door and windows, burying the family). The books have to go, and Angus’ dad hauls them off with his bike, with considerable effort. But things aren’t the same without them; bowls slide off the table, and Angus can’t reach the window without piles of books to stand on. Not only is there now physical space inside, but also unwelcome space separating the family members. That is, until the day that Lucy brings home a book from the library, and Mom and Dad read it far into the night: They are all hooked—again. The playful art, set against white backgrounds, furnishes details not mentioned in the text (the trailer, household pets) and conveys the casual lifestyle of the family.
The catchy cover of this Australian import nicely sets up the warm and loving story within. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-64067-145-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kane Miller
Review Posted Online: July 30, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2013
Pedestrian.
Mr. Brown can’t help with farm chores because his shoes are missing—a common occurrence in his household and likely in many readers’ as well.
Children will be delighted that the titular Mr. Brown is in fact a child. After Mr. Brown looks in his closet and sorts through his other family members’ shoes with no luck, his father and his siblings help him search the farm. Eventually—after colorful pages that enable readers to spot footwear hiding—the family gives up on their hunt, and Mr. Brown asks to be carried around for the chores. He rides on his father’s shoulders as Papa gets his work done, as seen on a double-page spread of vignettes. The resolution is more of a lesson for the adult readers than for children, a saccharine moment where father and son express their joy that the missing shoes gave them the opportunity for togetherness—with advice for other parents to appreciate those fleeting moments themselves. Though the art is bright and cheerful, taking advantage of the setting, it occasionally is misaligned with the text (for example, the text states that Mr. Brown is wearing his favorite green shirt while the illustration is of a shirt with wide stripes of white and teal blue, which could confuse readers at the point where they’re trying to figure out which family member is Mr. Brown). The family is light-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Pedestrian. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 14, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-5460-0389-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: WorthyKids/Ideals
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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