Many good things take time, but this book is short and sweet.
Levine and Eisenberg Sasso team up for another picture book based on the parables of Jesus, highlighting the lessons and values one can learn from observing nature.
“Once a gardener planted a fig tree,” the book begins. In this tree lies the promise of delightful shade and delicious fruit. The seasons change and the tree grows taller; but alas, it fails to come into leaf and there is no harvest to speak of. A White gardener and a group of racially diverse children keep watch. “Will the tree ever grow up?” the youngsters ask, and the gardener recommends patience. Another year goes by, but still the tree refuses to yield figs and shade. Adults begin to call the tree “good for nothing,” and even the gardener begins to wonder if they should start afresh with a new planting, but the children know the tree just needs more love and more time. As year follows year, the children lovingly and persistently tend to their beloved tree, ultimately reaping the literal fruit of their labor. Guaranteed to draw comparisons to The Giving Tree (1964), this book inverts Silverstein’s now-classic narrative by showing child protagonists giving tirelessly to an eponymous tree; however, the lesson here seems to be persistence rather than love devoid of self-interest. Though the story strays far from the biblical teaching it draws from, its themes remain scriptural and are also universal. Bowler’s illustrations invite interest with their palpable textures and impressionistic lights and shadows.
Many good things take time, but this book is short and sweet. (authors’ note, recipe) (Religious picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-947888-31-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Flyaway Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2022
Fans of this popular series will find this a rewarding addition to family Easter celebrations.
Bergren and Bryant attempt to explain Easter to young children in a gentle, nonthreatening manner, with partial success.
When Little Cub questions her father about Easter, Papa Bear explains the religious significance of the holiday in various symbolic ways to his cub. He uses familiar things from their world, such as an egg and a fallen tree, to draw parallels with aspects of the Christian story. Papa Bear discusses his close relationships with Jesus and God, encouraging Little Cub to communicate with God on her own. The theme focuses on the renewal of life and the positive aspects of loving God and Jesus. Easter is presented as a celebration of eternal life, but the story skirts the issue of the crucifixion entirely. Some adults will find this an inadequate or even dishonest approach to the Easter story, but others will appreciate the calm and soothing text as a way to begin to understand a difficult subject. Bryant’s charming watercolor illustrations of the polar bear family, their cozy home and snowy forest scenes add to the overall mellow effect.
Fans of this popular series will find this a rewarding addition to family Easter celebrations. (Religion/picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 15, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-307-73072-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: WaterBrook
Review Posted Online: Dec. 11, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2013
An upbeat holiday tale marred by spotty logic.
An unusual Hanukkah miracle.
On the first night of Hanukkah, Ruthie’s parents give her a pair of holiday-themed “pajamakkahs.” Dad says that she can wear them to the family’s “Hanukkah Pajamakkah Party” on the eighth night. Ruthie wants to wear them “all eight nights.” Mom agrees but tells her to keep them “spotless.” Despite Ruthie’s precautions, she accrues myriad stains as she helps cook latkes, lights the menorah, does arts and crafts, and crashes into a pile of jelly doughnuts. But there are no spots here, says Ruthie—just “streaks,” “splotches,” “sparkles,” and “squishes.” On the final night of Hanukkah, the whole family and even the dog sport pajamakkahs of their own. Mom’s aghast at Ruthie’s pj’s. Dad says it’s a miracle they lasted eight nights, but he sees spots. “Dotted, not spotted,” Ruthie counters. Other, racially diverse, pajama-clad family members arrive. Ruthie twirls the dreidel and, inexplicably, causes a whirlwind, upending latkes, art supplies, and more. Are those spots on Ruthie’s pajamakkahs at last? Finally, Ruthie says, “a Hanukkah miracle!” This thinly plotted, only mildly amusing story is rife with logical holes. Even the youngest readers won’t believe Ruthie’s parents didn’t insist the badly soiled pj’s should get tossed in the washer sooner. It isn’t clear what’s so miraculous about Ruthie’s dirty jammies, and the child’s literalness wears thin. The cheerful, digitally created illustrations feature familiar Hanukkah symbols but are otherwise undistinguished. Ruthie and her immediate family are pale-skinned.
An upbeat holiday tale marred by spotty logic. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9781728284576
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2024
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