A vibrantly illustrated, relaxation-focused sleep story that has plenty of appeal.
A bright green, kid-friendly monster does visualizations to defeat a cold in Madden’s children’s series debut.
The sick “buddabug” Zenji, with his green and teal fur, long wings, and pitiful expression, is sure to grab young readers’ attention from the first page of this book. The preschool crowd will identify with his ailments, too: “His chest was wheezy, his forehead was clammy, and his whole body ached. In fact he was feeling rather cranky indeed.” Stuck inside with no friends but his teddy bear, Zenji is bored until Karma, the “little voice that lives inside” his head, appears to help guide him through a mindfulness drill to help him sleep. After he’s relaxed, Zenji envisions himself traveling through his own body to fight off the “muzzy bug” that’s keeping him sick. The soporific text’s meditative nature is perfect for youngsters who have trouble going to sleep at night. However, the idea that meditation helps children to use “magic” to get rid of their colds may frustrate some sick children and their parents. Madden’s computer-generated illustrations are charming throughout, especially when they combine words and images, as when Zenji learns to breathe in good, healthy air and breathe out what’s making him feel bad. The repetition of words such as “down,” “smaller,” and “deep,” among others, will help adult readers deliver the text slowly to children. The book’s guided journey through each part of the body will be very helpful in introducing kids to this style of mindful relaxation. The amount of text per page isn’t overwhelming, and newly independent readers may do well on their own, particularly given the text’s occasional use of rhyme. The title will likely work best as a read-aloud when a sleepy child is already under the covers.
Pub Date: Oct. 12, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-9570626-1-0
Page Count: 31
Publisher: DesignBOS
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2016
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
The seemingly ageless Seeger brings back his renowned giant for another go in a tuneful tale that, like the art, is a bit sketchy, but chockful of worthy messages. Faced with yearly floods and droughts since they’ve cut down all their trees, the townsfolk decide to build a dam—but the project is stymied by a boulder that is too huge to move. Call on Abiyoyo, suggests the granddaughter of the man with the magic wand, then just “Zoop Zoop” him away again. But the rock that Abiyoyo obligingly flings aside smashes the wand. How to avoid Abiyoyo’s destruction now? Sing the monster to sleep, then make it a peaceful, tree-planting member of the community, of course. Seeger sums it up in a postscript: “every community must learn to manage its giants.” Hays, who illustrated the original (1986), creates colorful, if unfinished-looking, scenes featuring a notably multicultural human cast and a towering Cubist fantasy of a giant. The song, based on a Xhosa lullaby, still has that hard-to-resist sing-along potential, and the themes of waging peace, collective action, and the benefits of sound ecological practices are presented in ways that children will both appreciate and enjoy. (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-83271-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2001
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