A tender affirmation of intergenerational bonds, echoed in a fine-tuned union between words and images.
A child narrates a starry winter adventure with Nana, while text and pictures hint at the elder’s transition from earthly life to what’s beyond.
As they’ve often done, the two meet at sunset for stargazing on the hill above the child’s cottage, sharing hot chocolate, a blanket, a telescope, and each other’s company. Nana relates astronomical knowledge and “tales from many moons ago.” Tonight, they wait eagerly for “her, a constellation of crumbs scattered in the wind.” The Night Whale (presumably, the winter constellation Cetus) appears, a huge creature who has a clear connection with Nana. The duo dance together to a “magical song.” With permission, Nana and the child climb onto the whale’s back. Off they fly, above oceans, forests, and cities, past the northern lights, then “home—the long way around.” As the fantastic flight comes to a close, the pair’s multisensory communion on the hillside becomes at once a series of realizations, a container for grief, and a poignant parting. “We were stargazers for so long. Now we are explorers.” O’Mara’s lovely pictures evoke the shimmering luminosity of sunset, sea, and starlight. Nana’s accoutrements—her motorbike, telescope, and binoculars—stud the sky like constellations. In final scenes, the child’s parent is present as Nana, riding the Night Whale, waves in loving departure. The characters are tan-skinned.
A tender affirmation of intergenerational bonds, echoed in a fine-tuned union between words and images. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781536238846
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2024
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
Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader!
Fun with friends makes for a great day.
Norbit, a salmon-colored worm with a pink kerchief, joyfully greets the day and everyone he encounters. “Hello, friends! It’s time for fun with the sun! Let’s play!” He and his menagerie of forest pals—including the sun, who grows limbs and descends from the sky—exuberantly engage in various forms of physical activity such as jumping, going down a slide, spinning around, and watching the clouds go by. Young readers will readily relate, as these are games that most children are familiar with. As day turns to night, Norbit says farewell to Sun and welcomes Moon with an invitation to continue the fun. Watkins has created a vivid world of movement and merriment. Her illustrations feature bright bursts of color that match the energy of the text, with most sentences ending in an exclamation point. The author/illustrator incorporates many elements that make for an ideal early-reading experience (despite the use of a contraction or two): art free from clutter, text consisting of words with only one or two syllables, and repetition and recurring bits, such as a continued game of hide-and-seek with Sun. Inspired by never-before-seen sketches from the Dr. Seuss Collection archives at the University of California San Diego, this is the first title for Seuss Studios, a new imprint for original stories from “emerging authors and illustrators” who “honor Seuss’s hallmark spirit of creativity and imagination.”
Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader! (author's note) (Early reader. 5-8)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9780593646212
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Seuss Studios
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
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