Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS




Children's and Teen: 6 - 8 years old


Cover art for BEDTIME IN THE FOREST
CHILDREN'S
Released: Aug. 1, 2010
by Kazuo Iwamura, illustrated by Kazuo Iwamura

"Pleasantly reminiscent of Beatrix Potter, with the squirrels' little overalls and the domesticated woodland interiors, though the trim size is fairly conventional. (Picture book. 4-6)"
Baby squirrels find unlikely new friends in their first non-seasonal outing (Hooray for Snow!, 2009, etc.). Read full book review >
Cover art for AN AUSTRALIAN 1,2,3 OF ANIMALS
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 1, 2009
by Bronwyn Bancroft, illustrated by Bronwyn Bancroft

"The author has also created An Australian ABC of Animals (2005). (Picture book. 2-7)"
Using a mixture of techniques from her Aboriginal background and her own artistic creativity, Bancroft entices children to count from one to 15 as they view an array of Australian animals cavorting on brightly colored pages. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE IMAGINARY GARDEN
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 1, 2009

"More than the gardening or even the flowers, the dance of imagination between grandfather and grandchild is sweetly filigreed across the pages. (Picture book. 4-8)"
Poppa lives in an apartment now, with a tiny, windy balcony instead of a garden. Read full book review >
Cover art for REDWOODS
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 1, 2009
by Jason Chin, illustrated by Jason Chin

"An inventive, eye-opening adventure. (author's note) (Informational picture book. 6-8)"
Chin introduces the world of old-growth redwood forests to young readers in this effective mix of fiction and nonfiction. Read full book review >
Cover art for LEAF
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 1, 2009

"Wonderful squiggly line, patches of green and brown, gold and blue and fabulous use of negative white space make this a joy to reread. (Picture book. 5-9)"
A curious, curiously subversive and very pretty wordless Australian import. Read full book review >
Cover art for THIS IS THE DAY!
CHILDREN'S
Released: Feb. 1, 2009

"Cowdrey's realistic paintings capture the intriguing birds and beasts of the area, from herons and eagles to harbor seals and orca whales, with a dandy orca breaching on the front cover. (Picture book/religion. 4-7)"
Carlstrom, author of the Jesse Bear series, offers a poetic look at the connection between God and nature, basing her free-verse text on a well-known Bible verse ("This is the day the Lord has made"). Read full book review >