by Keith Graves & illustrated by Keith Graves ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2006
A hyper-cautious lad is dragged by his hair—literally—into a looser lifestyle in this typically off-the-wall episode from Graves. Too “properly prudent” to smell the roses, play on the playground or even to smile (“What if a flying insect were to crash into one’s teeth?”), Barcelona sports thick goggles, rubber gloves, a life jacket and thick locks of blue hair that are trained to stand straight up. Until, that is, one day when they explode into a wild mass that dances outside, stomps through a puddle, climbs a tree, pets a dog and performs other such imprudent stunts as Barcelona, willy-nilly, tags along. A rainstorm finally washes off whatever it was that touched off the spree, but the damage is done, and off goes the boy, upright again and grinning despite the danger of bugs. Though less gross than Graves’s best work, this is sufficiently wacky to sit next to, say, Margie Palatini’s Bedhead, illustrated by Jack E. Davis (2000). (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: May 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-399-24273-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2006
Share your opinion of this book
More by Keith Graves
BOOK REVIEW
by Keith Graves ; illustrated by Keith Graves
BOOK REVIEW
by Keith Graves ; illustrated by Keith Graves
BOOK REVIEW
by Keith Graves ; illustrated by Keith Graves
by Julia Donaldson & illustrated by Axel Scheffler ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2001
Each time the witch loses something in the windy weather, she and her cat are introduced to a new friend who loves flying on her broom. The fluid rhyming and smooth rhythm work together with one repetitive plot element focusing young attention spans until the plot quickens. (“Is there room on the broom for a blank such as me?”) When the witch’s broom breaks, she is thrown in to danger and the plot flies to the finish. Her friends—cat, dog, frog, and bird—are not likely to scare the dragon who plans on eating the witch, but together they form a formidable, gooey, scary-sounding monster. The use of full-page or even page-and-a-half spreads for many of the illustrations will ensure its successful use in story times as well as individual readings. The wart-nosed witch and her passengers make magic that is sure to please. Effective use of brilliant colors set against well-conceived backgrounds detail the story without need for text—but with it, the story—and the broom—take off. (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-8037-2557-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2001
Share your opinion of this book
More by Julia Donaldson
BOOK REVIEW
by Julia Donaldson ; illustrated by Axel Scheffler
BOOK REVIEW
by Julia Donaldson ; illustrated by Axel Scheffler
BOOK REVIEW
by Julia Donaldson ; illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 4, 2014
A lesson that never grows old, enacted with verve by two favorite friends
Gerald the elephant learns a truth familiar to every preschooler—heck, every human: “Waiting is not easy!”
When Piggie cartwheels up to Gerald announcing that she has a surprise for him, Gerald is less than pleased to learn that the “surprise is a surprise.” Gerald pumps Piggie for information (it’s big, it’s pretty, and they can share it), but Piggie holds fast on this basic principle: Gerald will have to wait. Gerald lets out an almighty “GROAN!” Variations on this basic exchange occur throughout the day; Gerald pleads, Piggie insists they must wait; Gerald groans. As the day turns to twilight (signaled by the backgrounds that darken from mauve to gray to charcoal), Gerald gets grumpy. “WE HAVE WASTED THE WHOLE DAY!…And for WHAT!?” Piggie then gestures up to the Milky Way, which an awed Gerald acknowledges “was worth the wait.” Willems relies even more than usual on the slightest of changes in posture, layout and typography, as two waiting figures can’t help but be pretty static. At one point, Piggie assumes the lotus position, infuriating Gerald. Most amusingly, Gerald’s elephantine groans assume weighty physicality in spread-filling speech bubbles that knock Piggie to the ground. And the spectacular, photo-collaged images of the Milky Way that dwarf the two friends makes it clear that it was indeed worth the wait.
A lesson that never grows old, enacted with verve by two favorite friends . (Early reader. 6-8)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4231-9957-1
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2014
Share your opinion of this book
More In The Series
by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems
by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems
by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems
More by Mo Willems
BOOK REVIEW
by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems
BOOK REVIEW
by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems
BOOK REVIEW
by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems
© 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.