In Hodges’ quirky debut children’s book, a girl and her animated head of hair battle for the spotlight on picture day.
Young Ange-Marie has a secret that makes her unique among other children: Her coiffure has a mind of its own. The great big ball of hair on Ange-Marie’s head, affectionately referred to by Ange-Marie as “the Poof,” has mischievous ideas and energy. The Poof can change shapes, creating sculptures on Ange-Marie’s head—a big cloud, a bird, a flower, a question mark. The Poof is even capable of audibly communicating with Ange-Marie. The two struggle at times with their opposite agendas: When Ange-Marie wants to brush her teeth, the Poof wants to play. When Ange wants to eat breakfast, the Poof wants to fly up to the ceiling. Gentry’s colorful, popping images playfully convey the characters’ disputes, as bright shades of fuchsia and purple create a vibrant background. When it comes time for picture day at school, Ange-Marie asserts that she will be the one in charge of how she and the Poof are portrayed. Not everyone knows about her magical hair’s mind of its own, she says, so it’s best that the hair just be hair. However, as usual, the Poof has ideas of its own, and their conflicting plans become a playful battle for artistic control in the school portrait. Hodge’s simple sentence structure makes this an accessible story for beginning readers. The short, easy-to-follow story could also be read aloud by caregivers or teachers to younger children. There is no clear, overarching moral, though children may be inspired by Ange-Marie’s embracing her individuality, as she tames her quirky side while staying true to herself. In such a whimsical, light story, young children are likely to be amused by the goofiness of hair that lives its own life. A silly, imaginative story about individuality, best enjoyed by beginning readers.
Pub Date: June 26, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4836-5206-1
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Xlibris
Review Posted Online: March 14, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
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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