Gorgeous illustrations, humorous dialogue and a moving narrative make this a stunning debut.
As the seasons pass, a wise and beautiful tree must persuade a jolly woodcutter not to chop her down.
“Thwickety-THWACK! Thwickety-THWACK!” sings the woodcutter as he tromps through the forest, swinging his trusty axe and looking for a suitable tree to chop. When he comes upon a beautiful tree, he is at first delighted—until the tree asks him what he intends to do. The startled woodcutter declares that he will “CHOP-CHOP-CHOP” her “DOWN-DOWN-DOWN!” and the clever tree offers him her flowers instead. He agrees to take these home to his wife in lieu of cutting the tree down. Again and again, the woodcutter encounters the tree, and each time she offers him a gift to dissuade him from chopping her down. Come winter, however, the tree is despondent—her branches are bare and she no longer has anything to offer. To her surprise, the friendly woodcutter offers her a gift. The illustrations by debut author Johnston suit the titular characters well—the loud-mouthed woodcutter’s words burst onto the page alongside his gorgeous and whimsical surroundings. The author’s depiction of the tree is enchanting, with leaves and flowers blossoming onto the page in a colorful display that will captivate the eyes and minds of young readers. Johnston’s illustrations are so beautiful and intricate that they nearly overwhelm the narrative. Still, young readers and listeners are sure to enjoy the repetitive lyrics of the woodcutter’s song. Parents, librarians and schoolteachers may also enjoy belting out the woodcutter’s amusing dialogue. In the end, readers learn a touching lesson of friendship and giving as its own reward.
Gorgeous illustrations, humorous dialogue and a moving narrative make this a stunning debut.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1935356158
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Robert N. Johnston
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2011
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
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