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THE POET OF PINEY WOODS

Quietly well done.

A wolf wordsmith subverts expectations.

In a colorful, wood-block–printed forest, a wolf sneaks up behind an assortment of animals. A baseball-capped bear cub flees at the sound of a twig snapping. As a bow-tied frog sits on a log, “Wolf smiles. Teeth flash. / Frog sees Wolf. Splash!” But despite appearances, this doesn’t turn out to be a story of the food chain. Because now it’s “Sundown. Wolf’s lair. / Dinner? Sliced pears. / Peaceful. Poem time. / Wolf thinks, inks rhymes.” In tight, clipped, creatively rhymed and metered lines, this poem of a story shows that Wolf, a smoking jacket–clad vegetarian, just wants to share his verse with his forestmates. He pins his words to a tree, each a brief collection of rhyming words about the animal friends he was sneaking up on in the first part of the story. The animals gather around in appreciation, wondering who the mystery poet is, but when the wolf reveals himself as the author, the animals flee. A helpful blue jay convinces them to come back after Wolf pleads for understanding. Predictable for adults but no doubt suspenseful for children, the plot is enhanced by texturally rich illustrations and satisfying-to-read rhymes, making this an ideal read-aloud for inquisitive, word-loving young children. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9.5-by-21-inch double-page spreads viewed at 18% of actual size.)

Quietly well done. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: April 13, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-951836-09-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Cameron + Company

Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021

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THE LEAF THIEF

A hilarious autumnal comedy of errors.

A confused squirrel overreacts to the falling autumn leaves.

Relaxing on a tree branch, Squirrel admires the red, gold, and orange leaves. Suddenly Squirrel screams, “One of my leaves is…MISSING!” Searching for the leaf, Squirrel tells Bird, “Someone stole my leaf!” Spying Mouse sailing in a leaf boat, Squirrel asks if Mouse stole the leaf. Mouse calmly replies in the negative. Bird reminds Squirrel it’s “perfectly normal to lose a leaf or two at this time of year.” Next morning Squirrel panics again, shrieking, “MORE LEAVES HAVE BEEN STOLEN!” Noticing Woodpecker arranging colorful leaves, Squirrel queries, “Are those my leaves?” Woodpecker tells Squirrel, “No.” Again, Bird assures Squirrel that no one’s taking the leaves and that the same thing happened last year, then encourages Squirrel to relax. Too wired to relax despite some yoga and a bath, the next day Squirrel cries “DISASTER” at the sight of bare branches. Frantic now, Squirrel becomes suspicious upon discovering Bird decorating with multicolored leaves. Is Bird the culprit? In response, Bird shows Squirrel the real Leaf Thief: the wind. Squirrel’s wildly dramatic, misguided, and hyperpossessive reaction to a routine seasonal event becomes a rib-tickling farce through clever use of varying type sizes and weights emphasizing his absurd verbal pronouncements as well as exaggerated, comic facial expressions and body language. Bold colors, arresting perspectives, and intense close-ups enhance Squirrel’s histrionics. Endnotes explain the science behind the phenomenon.

A hilarious autumnal comedy of errors. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-7282-3520-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Review Posted Online: June 1, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2021

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CARPENTER'S HELPER

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

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

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