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IF YOU LISTEN

Name: IF YOU LISTEN
Author: Stefano Vitale
ISBN: 0762413352

by Stefano Vitale & Charlotte Zolotow ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 20, 1980

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Wispy. A mother consoles her little girl, who's missing her long-absent father, by telling her to listen—"the way you do when you can't see the church steeple, but suddenly the sound of bells comes through the air to you," or as one might for other unseen, unexpected sounds—and then "you'll feel someone far away sending love to you." The little girl wistfully agrees, then adds—injecting some welcome realism—"but I wish he'd come home." Accompanying the pretty, fuzzy sentiment are pretty, fuzzy pictures.

Pub Date: Aug. 20, 1980

ISBN: 0762413352

Page Count: 42

Publisher: Harper & Row

Review Posted Online: May 13, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1980

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
THERE WAS AN OLD MAN WHO PAINTED THE SKY
by Teri Sloat and illustrated by Stefano Vitale

- BOOK REVIEW
POND CIRCLE
by Betsy Franco and illustrated by Stefano Vitale

- BOOK REVIEW
WHY WAR IS NEVER A GOOD IDEA
by Alice Walker & illustrated by Stefano Vitale

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CARPENTER'S HELPER

by Sybil Rosen ; illustrated by Camille Garoche ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 16, 2021

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.

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A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.

Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: March 16, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random

Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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THE SNOW THIEF

From the Squirrel & Bird series

by Alice Hemming ; illustrated by Nicola Slater ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 3, 2024

May this endearing pair have more sneakily educational outings.

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The ground is all white and cold, and Squirrel has no idea why.

Awakening to find the grass is gone, Squirrel panics and calls for Bird. Ever patient Bird explains that sometimes it snows in winter, and the grass just gets covered. Bird suggests they play in the snow, but Squirrel says it’s too cold…until Bird introduces Squirrel to snowballs. Suddenly, Squirrel loves snow. Bird also explains that snowflakes are all different shapes. Squirrel’s skeptical. “They’re all small, white blobs.” Then Squirrel yells, “BIRD! There is SMOKE coming out of my mouth! Is it because I ate a snowflake?” Bird notes that sometimes it gets so cold that you can see your breath. A frozen puddle sends Squirrel sliding into a giant snow squirrel. Squirrel’s pretty sure that snow squirrel stole some hazelnuts. Bird explains that’s impossible: “It isn’t real—it’s just a SNOW squirrel.” When the snow melts overnight, Squirrel is convinced the snow squirrel took it all—but at least the hazelnuts are still there (the builder of the snow squirrel had used them for the eyes and mouth). Hemming’s tale, which relies on speech bubbles and text in several different fonts for emphasis (and overreaction), is as funny as the first two in the series, while Slater’s digitally created, colorful illustrations add some slapstick giggles. The book finishes with a double-page spread of snow facts that address Squirrel’s concerns.

May this endearing pair have more sneakily educational outings. (Picture book. 2-7)