by Linda England & illustrated by Teresa Flavin ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1998
Dexter is a boy who loves three things: his mother, pork chops, and the ``sound of Johnny Cotton's clarinet.'' That last one makes Dexter feel ``the blue-down blues, and the deep-down- shaking, slow-laughing feel-goods.'' This city-dwelling boy, who has just one parent, has the strong desire to play, too; his dream of having a clarinet is not possible, but the kindly Johnny shares his time and encourages the boy with a story and a gift- -his own father's harmonica. So Dexter comes to love a fourth thing: playing his harmonica with Johnny Cotton. England (3 Kids Dreamin', 1997) paces the story perfectly; there is no quick solution to his initial disappointment, but a more satisfying, realistic answer. Elements of the story are familiar, but this is a good tale of a talented boy with a one-track heart. The illustrations and design of the book are all of a piece: City doorways and interiors are stylized; the people are portrayed with skill, while Dexter, in particular, is animated and easy to identify with. A depiction of Johnny's deceased father, blowing on the harmonica in heaven, is an effective evocation of the joy of music, and the distinctively African faces of the angels are radiantly done. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: April 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-689-81074-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1998
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by Linda England & illustrated by Dena Schutzer
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by Kobi Yamada ; illustrated by Natalie Russell ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2017
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
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New York Times Bestseller
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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by Kobi Yamada ; illustrated by Adelina Lirius
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by Kobi Yamada ; illustrated by Elise Hurst
by Antoinette Portis & illustrated by Antoinette Portis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 1, 2006
Dedicated “to children everywhere sitting in cardboard boxes,” this elemental debut depicts a bunny with big, looping ears demonstrating to a rather thick, unseen questioner (“Are you still standing around in that box?”) that what might look like an ordinary carton is actually a race car, a mountain, a burning building, a spaceship or anything else the imagination might dream up. Portis pairs each question and increasingly emphatic response with a playscape of Crockett Johnson–style simplicity, digitally drawn with single red and black lines against generally pale color fields. Appropriately bound in brown paper, this makes its profound point more directly than such like-themed tales as Marisabina Russo’s Big Brown Box (2000) or Dana Kessimakis Smith’s Brave Spaceboy (2005). (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-06-112322-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2006
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