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HAVE A LOOK, SAYS BOOK.

Name: HAVE A LOOK, SAYS BOOK.
Author: Richard Jackson
ISBN: 978-1-4814-2105-8

by Richard Jackson ; illustrated by Kevin Hawkes ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 12, 2016

As a celebration of the codex, it is but one of many; as a celebration of the surreal, it excels.

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As a girl sits with her father reading a book, she goes on a fantastical adventure.

The art and layout are unusual from the start. The text begins on the page facing the title page—“Hello there, says Chair,” is printed above an inviting, overstuffed chair in a comfy nook, book on its cushion—and the title page itself continues the text. On the acknowledgment pages, a generic white man sits on Chair with book in hand, and a small white girl—apparently his daughter—climbs up beside him. Gentle rhymes continue the story, as the chair and its occupants glide into the book’s world with “a look, a listen, // and a touch as such.” There follow pages of whimsical paintings of the girl happily interacting with various objects, sometimes oversized, sometimes realistically sized, all of which are described with adjectives and some of which also include extra rhymes: “I am gluey says Snail / (with its tail in a pail.)” The adventures crescendo as the girl flies on a silky crow and sees a steamy “Loco” approaching. Papa suggests a break, and the pair enjoy cocoa and cake on Chair. The ending brings the energy down to a good place for bedtime. Art and text together are enjoyably quirky, but the connection of the girl’s flights of fancy to the reading experience is a little hard to determine, given the frame story’s similarity of tone to the accretion of objects and adjectives within.

As a celebration of the codex, it is but one of many; as a celebration of the surreal, it excels. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: April 12, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-4814-2105-8

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Atheneum

Review Posted Online: Jan. 8, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS

- BOOK REVIEW
WITH DAD
by Richard Jackson ; illustrated by Brian Floca

- BOOK REVIEW
I SEE YOU SEE
by Richard Jackson ; illustrated by Patrice Barton

- BOOK REVIEW
THREE BILLY GOATS GRUFF
by Richard Jackson ; illustrated by Katherine Tillotson

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CHICKA CHICKA HO HO HO

From the Chicka Chicka Book series

by William Boniface ; illustrated by Julien Chung ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2024

A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree.

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A Christmas edition of the beloved alphabet book.

The story starts off nearly identically to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989), written by John Archambault and the late Bill Martin Jr, with the letters A, B, and C deciding to meet in the branches of a tree. This time, they’re attempting to scale a Christmas tree, not a coconut tree, and the letters are strung together like garland. A, B, and C are joined by the other letters, and of course they all “slip, slop, topple, plop!” right down the tree. At the bottom, they discover an assortment of gifts, all in a variety of shapes. As a team, the letters and presents organize themselves to get back up on the Christmas tree and get a star to the top. Holiday iterations of favorite tales often fall flat, but this take succeeds. The gifts are an easy way to reinforce another preschool concept—shapes—and the text uses just enough of the original to be familiar. The rhyming works, sticking to the cadence of the source material. The illustrations pay homage to the late Lois Ehlert’s, featuring the same bold block letters, though they lack some of the whimsy and personality of the original. Otherwise, everything is similarly brightly colored and simply drawn. Those familiar with the classic will be drawn to this one, but newcomers can enjoy it on its own.

A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree. (Picture book. 3-5)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024

ISBN: 9781665954761

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

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THE CRAYONS GIVE THANKS

by Drew Daywalt & illustrated by Oliver Jeffers ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 10, 2024

Formulaic fare that will nevertheless charm devoted followers.

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A few familiar friends explore gratitude.

Daywalt’s crayons have observed many holidays, from Christmas to Earth Day. On Thanksgiving, these anthropomorphic school supplies wax (pun intended) poetic about their favorite things to draw. “Blue is thankful for blueberries.” (The accompanying illustration depicts the stubby crayon leaping into a pile of the fruit.) Black, on a page topped by dark scribbles, “is thankful for night skies.” In an aside, Black adds, “Big, beautiful night skies I get to color in all by myself!” (Blue is perfectly fine with this.) Pink pipes up with “Three glorious words. Amazon. River. Dolphins”—which may spur readers to research these creatures. The tale turns a bit meta, too. Teal is thankful for family—both Blue and Green. Red, surrounded by hearts, is thankful for Neon Green Highlighter, who was accidentally dropped into the crayon box—a “dreamboat” for sure. Recognizable jokes from previous works make appearances; these callbacks will delight staunch fans, though others will find them tiring. Standard cheer and platitudes abound; the crayons are ultimately most grateful for each other.

Formulaic fare that will nevertheless charm devoted followers. (Picture book. 3-6)