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A YEAR WITH MAMA EARTH

A yearlong exploration of nature to hold in your hands.

Savor this scrapbook of softly filtered illustrations honoring the wonders of Mama Earth.

Each double-page spread averages 50 words, but older readers will appreciate the rural natural world of a northern temperate climate, and younger readers will enjoy illustrations of curious children scouting out pumpkins growing in the field, decorating shrubs with strings of berries for winter birds, collecting maple sap in the spring, and enjoying a summer campfire with fireflies, mosquitos, and toasted marshmallows. The book is organized by month beginning with September, so classrooms as well as families can revisit the book monthly and focus on the lyrical descriptions of change. In October, feel “Mama [laugh] a chill wind / that stirs the maple leaves / into a golden whirl / while children spin and spin.” In January, watch and listen as “Mama Earth loads the trees’ arms / with white, and blows light fluff / against the windowpane.” “Mama Earth’s sunny smile cracks / the last of April’s ice along the river’s / edge.” Readers who don’t live in the country or in a temperate climate can compare and contrast how their weather, plants, animals, and outdoor exploration change monthly and create their own scrapbook. The five child characters are racially diverse; except for one jack-o’-lantern, both text and illustrations are free of holiday references.

A yearlong exploration of nature to hold in your hands. (author’s note, illustrator’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2019

ISBN: 978-0-8028-5505-3

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Eerdmans

Review Posted Online: July 13, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2019

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HEY, DUCK!

A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.

A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.

He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts.  When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.

A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013

ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012

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DIGGERSAURS

Count on construction die-hards falling in love, but discerning readers would be wise to look elsewhere for their...

Less ambitious than Chris Gall’s widely known Dinotrux (2009) and sequels, this British import systematically relegates each dinosaur/construction-equipment hybrid to its most logical job.

The title figures are introduced as bigger than both diggers and dinosaurs, and rhyming text and two construction-helmeted kids show just what these creatures are capable of. Each diggersaur has a specific job to do and a distinct sound effect. The dozersaurus moves rocks with a “SCRAAAAPE!!!” while the rollersaurus flattens lumps with a cheery “TOOT TOOT!!” Each diggersaur is numbered, with 12 in all, allowing this to be a counting book on the sly. As the diggersaurs (not all of which dig) perform jobs that regular construction equipment can do, albeit on a larger scale, there is no particular reason why any of them should have dinosaurlike looks other than just ’cause. Peppy computer art tries valiantly to attract attention away from the singularly unoriginal text. “Diggersaurs dig with bites so BIG, / each SCOOP creates a crater. // They’re TOUGH and STRONG / with necks so long— / they’re super EXCAVATORS!” Far more interesting are the two human characters, a white girl and a black boy, that flit about the pictures offering commentary and action. Much of the fun of the book can be found in trying to spot them on every two-page spread.

Count on construction die-hards falling in love, but discerning readers would be wise to look elsewhere for their dino/construction kicks. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: April 2, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-9848-4779-9

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019

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