A satisfyingly—and deceptively—simple tale about sincere pleasures in hectic times.
Amid a bustling city, a young boy seeks something to call his own.
A young boy with pale skin and dark brown hair feels special. For the first time, he has his own money. But what will he buy? Told in the first person, the boy’s narrative features evocative language that conveys his experiences as he takes in the sights, smells, and temptations of the shops. The boy is portrayed in bold primary colors, drawing readers’ eyes with each page turn; around him, a racially diverse crowd rushes about, painted in a fainter palette. Contemplating toys, tasty treats, and more, the boy is bumped by a kid on a skateboard and loses most of his coins down a storm drain. Dejected, the boy goes into a shop with a sign that says “Smile” and asks the brown-skinned shopkeeper if he can afford a very small smile. The boy has previously been mostly on his own, but the shopkeeper interacts with him directly and gives him just what he needs—for free. In doing so, he opens up the boy’s perspective to appreciate the world around him. Simple illustrations brimming with eye-catching details are stylistically reminiscent of Uri Shulevitz with a dash of Tomie dePaola. The classic, subdued palette perfectly complements the boy’s journey, fading to gray at the story’s darkest moment and brightening with the resolution.
A satisfyingly—and deceptively—simple tale about sincere pleasures in hectic times. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-68263-255-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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