Plug Honeycut has ``such a poor memory some say he'd forget his own name,'' so when Mama sends him to the store he chants her instructions, over and over, until a bullfrog distracts him. An encounter with an old lady who's just slipped on a stone ``as slick as soap'' recalls the words; unfortunately, she takes exception to his happy recovery and dunks him, hollering, ``What a mess I've become, but now you're one, too!'' So it goes: Plug picks up the new line, which proves peculiarly insulting to the next person he meets, who inadvertently provides him with another, and so on until a lady shrieks, ``I ought to wash your mouth out with soap!'' just as he nears the store. Birdseye's brisk down-home retelling is colorful and comical; Glass's affectionately caricatured mountain folk cavort in sunny colored pencils and watercolor. A natural for reading aloud. (Folklore/Picture book. 5-10)
Pub Date: April 15, 1993
ISBN: 0-8234-1005-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1993
Quietly contemplative and thoroughly lovely.
A child finds adventure and a change of perspective on a dreary day.
Clouds cover everything in a palette of unending gray, creating a sense of ennui and gloom. A child stands alone, head down, feeling as gray as the day, and decides to ride through town on an old bike. Pops of color throughout the grayscale illustrations go unnoticed—there are yellow leaves scattered about, and the parking lot is filled with bright yellow buses, but this child, who has skin the grayish white of the page, sees only the empty playground, creaky swings, a sad merry-go-round, and lonely seesaws. But look—there’s a narrow winding path just beyond the fence, something to explore. There are things to be noticed, leaves to be crunched, and discoveries to be made. Imagination takes over, along with senses of wonderment and calm, as the child watches a large blue bird fly over the area. The ride home is quite different, joyful and filled with color previously ignored, reaffirming the change in the rider’s outlook. The descriptive, spare text filled with imagery and onomatopoeia is well aligned with well-rendered art highlighting all the colors that brighten the not-so-gray day and allowing readers to see what the protagonist struggles to understand, that “anything can happen…on a gray day.” (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Quietly contemplative and thoroughly lovely. (Picture book. 5-9)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781797210896
Page Count: 44
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
Although commendable for its inspirational bent, this story flickers rather than shines.
A young Japanese American girl learns to believe in herself and take pride in her cultural heritage.
Keiko sometimes feels invisible and out of place. When overlooked by adults or treated unkindly by peers, she “remains steady like a tree” thanks to her family’s love. Watari highlights Keiko’s good qualities, such as her determination, strength, and kindness. Wu’s watercolor, ink, and digital artwork shows Keiko’s accomplishments, from averting a playground fight to teaching her peers about Japanese cultural traditions (such as the Obon festival) to winning over former bullies. We see her growth and journey from a child to an empowered adult, shining as both the president of the United States and a parent of her own child. Filled to the brim with affirmations, the narrative avoids difficult emotions except for one illustration showing Keiko with a frustrated look on her face as White ballet classmates taunt her from across the room. Unfortunately, the relentless positivity rings a bit hollow, and Keiko’s experiences and development are conveyed with little nuance. Although readers may enjoy searching each spread for symbols of the author’s heritage (origami cranes and Watari’s family crest), this one-note story falls short in a growing collection of confidence-boosting picture books for children. Background characters have a range of skin tones and body types. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Although commendable for its inspirational bent, this story flickers rather than shines. (author's note, glossary) (Picture book. 5-9)Pub Date: May 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5420-3153-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Two Lions
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2022
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