by Julia Richardson ; illustrated by Ryan O'Rourke ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 15, 2022
Terrific.
Part story, part information, all rhyming train celebration.
On a pleasant day, a brown-skinned engineer sketches a picture of a train on graph paper. The next image depicts a diverse line of seven workers (and a cat) standing proudly in overalls. Each spread, accompanied by four lines of rhyming text, describes how a train is built. Robust vocabulary (bogie, coupling) will intrigue newer train fans while tickling advanced enthusiasts. Careful word and layout choices strike a sweet spot—this book will appeal both to readers looking to learn something new and newcomers seeking a deep dive. No drama or trouble emerges in this assembly tale. Neat illustrations feature warm grays and browns along with bold reds, blues, and greens. The drawings are realistic yet sparse, allowing the emerging train engine to shine on each page. Most spreads are accompanied by large, chunky orange text—“Choo, Chugga, Chugga, Choo, Choooo!”—as if to cheer along the train itself. Instead of focusing on the engineer, driver, or anyone in particular, the production phase shows diligent teamwork. Ultimately the whole community cheers on the train's first journey down the tracks. The combination of rhymes, chugging sound effect prompts, and tender illustrations makes this a strong choice for both storytimes and one-on-one sharing. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Terrific. ((“more about steam trains,” photo glossary) (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: July 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-53411-145-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: April 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2022
Share your opinion of this book
More by Julia Richardson
BOOK REVIEW
by Julia Richardson ; illustrated by Kristen Howdeshell & Kevin Howdeshell
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.
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
Share your opinion of this book
Awards & Accolades
Likes
10
Our Verdict
GET IT
New York Times Bestseller
by Alice Hemming ; illustrated by Nicola Slater ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 2021
A hilarious autumnal comedy of errors.
Awards & Accolades
Likes
10
Our Verdict
GET IT
New York Times Bestseller
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
Share your opinion of this book
More by Alice Hemming
BOOK REVIEW
by Alice Hemming ; illustrated by Nicola Slater
BOOK REVIEW
by Alice Hemming ; illustrated by Nancy Leschnikoff
BOOK REVIEW
by Alice Hemming ; illustrated by Nicola Slater
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.