In the third installment of the Mrs. McNosh series (Mrs. McNosh and the Great Big Squash, 2000, etc.), the titular heroine encounters a series of surprises when her dog, George, chases a squirrel through the park. The action begins when George breaks free from his leash: “Her dog saw a squirrel and started to bark. / ‘Stop barking! Stop pulling!’ said Nelly McNosh. / But George wouldn’t listen, and so—.” The refrain, “Oh, my gosh!” is introduced on the next page as Westcott’s energetic watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations, crisply outlined in fine black pen, depict the trio dashing through the grass. When George chases the squirrel across a pond by jumping in a boat (“He dove and he wove right past Mrs. McNosh. / ‘I’ll catch you!’ Cried Nelly. But then—/ Oh, my gosh!”) the phrase comes up again, prompting readers to predict the outcome. In this case, Mrs. McNosh does a belly flop and nabs not the dog but “a big trout” instead. Throughout, Westcott effectively conveys the mayhem through cause-and-effect scenes; certain details, such as the catastrophic close-ups of Mrs. McNosh and George’s rear end peeking out from the corner of the page, communicate the futility of the frenetic chase. Having finally admitted defeat, Mrs. McNosh gets the biggest surprise of all when she heads home: George greets her at the door with her slippers in his mouth. “Oh, my gosh!” cries Mrs. McNosh. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: May 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-694-01204-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2002
A tender book to help little ones make sense of the emotions around prayer.
Actor Metz and songwriter Collins join illustrator Fields in their second faith-related title for young children.
Instead of focusing on the language of prayer—what to say or how to say it—this book explores a topic central to the lives of the very young: their feelings around talking to God. Rhymes and near-rhymes in the AABB verses enumerate the simple challenges and triumphs experienced by a series of animals: “Sometimes I’m sad, not sure what to do. / There are days I feel teary, unhappy, or blue. / I fell off a log. I’m embarrassed and hurt. / My coat and paws are all covered in dirt.” An accompanying illustration depicts a sad wolf pup, a definite contrast to its siblings, who are delighting in their play. The highlight of the book is Fields’ animal characters. Whether happy, nervous, or sad, their expressive faces are easy to read, and their feelings will be familiar to young tots. The beaver’s frustration is palpable, and the tears in the scared raccoon’s eyes may just make readers’ own eyes well up. Some of the animals have a God stand-in to help them with their feelings—a friend or family member—but the final spread shows all the individual animals coming together in a couple of group hugs that express where children can find support (and sweetly defy predator–prey relationships).
A tender book to help little ones make sense of the emotions around prayer. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780593691366
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Flamingo Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
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