First comes a new-born calf, and then, more briefly, ten other "babies"—about which we learn some things that are different, and some things that are the same. But Freedman (The First Days of Life, Animal Fathers, Getting Born, etc.), practiced in presenting this subject matter to the young, makes no overt attempt to instruct—and that, along with the simple fluency of the text and the simple clarity of the pictures, reinforces the book's natural appeal. (The text almost never refers to the animals as "babies"—save to say "baby goats" as an alternative to "kids," or "baby pigs" as an alternative to "piglets.") Instead, the brief remarks accompanying each picture take as reference points the picture itself ("These piglets"are about a week old. They are beginning to leave their pen and explore the barnyard"); a child's instinctual repsonse or natural queries ("If you touch a small piglet, it feels like velvet. . . . When it is about ten days old, it begins to grow soft bristles"); or the animal's distinguishing traits ("Baby pigs make lively pets. . . . In fact, pigs are probably the smartest animals on the farm"). Virtually all the information, in sum, is of immediate interest and some consequence—for a listening five-year-old or a second- or third-grader. A routine undertaking, discerningly executed.
Pub Date: Oct. 15, 1982
ISBN: 0823404269
Page Count: 38
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1982
A festive invitation to creative liberation.
A pleasingly tactile exploration of the possibilities inherent in mistakes.
"A torn piece of paper... / is just the beginning!" Spills, folded paper, drips of paint, smudges and smears—they "all can make magic appear." An increasingly complex series of scenarios celebrates random accidents, encouraging artistic experimentation rather than discouragement. The folded-over paper can be a penguin's head; a torn piece of newsprint can turn into a smiling dog with a little application of paint; a hot-chocolate stain can become a bog for a frog. Thanks to a telescoping pop-up, a hole is filled with nearly limitless possibilities. The interactive elements work beautifully with the photo-collaged "mistakes," never overwhelming the intent with showiness. Saltzberg's trademark cartoon animals provide a sweetly childlike counterpoint to the artful scribbles and smears of gloppy paint.
A festive invitation to creative liberation. (Pop-up. 4-12)Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-7611-5728-1
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Workman
Review Posted Online: Dec. 10, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2010
A lovely encouragement to young writers to persist.
This follow-up to How To Read a Story (2005) shows a child going through the steps of creating a story, from choosing an idea through sharing with friends.
A young black child lies in a grassy field writing in a journal, working on “Step 1 / Search for an Idea— / a shiny one.” During a walk to the library, various ideas float in colorful thought bubbles, with exclamation points: “playing soccer! / dogs!” Inside the library, less-distinct ideas, expressed as shapes and pictures, with question marks, float about as the writer collects ideas to choose from. The young writer must then choose a setting, a main character, and a problem for that protagonist. Plotting, writing with detail, and revising are described in child-friendly terms and shown visually, in the form of lists and notes on faux pieces of paper. Finally, the writer sits in the same field, in a new season, sharing the story with friends. The illustrations feature the child’s writing and drawing as well as images of imagined events from the book in progress bursting off the page. The child’s main character is an adventurous mermaid who looks just like the child, complete with afro-puff pigtails, representing an affirming message about writing oneself into the world. The child’s family, depicted as black, moves in the background of the setting, which is also populated by a multiracial cast.
A lovely encouragement to young writers to persist. (Informational picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: July 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4521-5666-8
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
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