Sincere but unconvincing.
Benjamin’s eccentric behavior and bark set him apart from other ducklings on the farm, though difference and diversity can be a positive asset in life.
Annoyed when schoolmates ignore him and won’t play, Benjamin leaves his home for new adventure. Along the way he meets a blind mole, a deaf rabbit, a lisping snake, a dog with paralyzed hind legs who uses a wheelchair of sorts, and a blackbird with wings too small to fly. Each of these disabled or challenged individuals shows Benjamin that their distinctive differences have not stopped them from pursuing productive lives. Benjamin’s awakening moment comes when the farm is invaded by a thief. A barking duck can act just like a barking guard dog to protect a home or farm from the threat of intruders. Even as the inspirational intentions of the author seem genuine, the story’s contrived approach through a forced narrative of tolerance and diversity makes it heavy-handed and didactic. Bright collage-style cartoon characters that feature big, round eyes are depicted in bold, large shapes and colors. Benjamin may learn that being optimistic about his innate difference can work as an advantage, yet does his acceptance stem from that uniqueness or from his usefulness?
Sincere but unconvincing. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 4, 2017
ISBN: 978-2-7338-4613-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Auzou Publishing
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
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