This quiet, sweet story is a gift for all—explorers, grandchildren, parents—any who celebrate the gift of discovering the...
Theo, the warmhearted heroine from The Imaginary Garden (2009), creates an unforgettable adventure for her beloved Poppa’s birthday.
Theo’s Poppa keeps his travel mementos in an old trunk. Through these items, Larsen tells the story of the man—where he’s been, whom he loves, what he values—which must be why Theo pores over each picture, map, and trinket. They speak of excitement and adventure, and they make Theo want to be an explorer too. As Poppa’s birthday nears, she ponders over the perfect present. When Poppa recalls a special meal by the ocean with Nana, Theo realizes what to get him: a trip together! With a hand-drawn map for a guide, they ride the streetcar toward the sand. There, they skip stones, walk barefoot, and find the best gazpacho. At home, Theo adds tokens from the day to Poppa’s memory trunk, knowing their outing made his birthday wish come true. Theo and Poppa are white, and they traverse a vibrant, multicultural city on their adventure. Luxbacher’s choice to use digital collage ties into the narrative, as found cloth, paper, and photographs become part of a larger story. But it’s Larsen’s compassionate text that makes this intergenerational story soar, simple, declarative sentences evoking the sincerity of Theo’s excitement.
This quiet, sweet story is a gift for all—explorers, grandchildren, parents—any who celebrate the gift of discovering the world together. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-77138-097-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2016
Safe to creep on by.
Carle’s famous caterpillar expresses its love.
In three sentences that stretch out over most of the book’s 32 pages, the (here, at least) not-so-ravenous larva first describes the object of its love, then describes how that loved one makes it feel before concluding, “That’s why… / I[heart]U.” There is little original in either visual or textual content, much of it mined from The Very Hungry Caterpillar. “You are… / …so sweet,” proclaims the caterpillar as it crawls through the hole it’s munched in a strawberry; “…the cherry on my cake,” it says as it perches on the familiar square of chocolate cake; “…the apple of my eye,” it announces as it emerges from an apple. Images familiar from other works join the smiling sun that shone down on the caterpillar as it delivers assurances that “you make… / …the sun shine brighter / …the stars sparkle,” and so on. The book is small, only 7 inches high and 5 ¾ inches across when closed—probably not coincidentally about the size of a greeting card. While generations of children have grown up with the ravenous caterpillar, this collection of Carle imagery and platitudinous sentiment has little of his classic’s charm. The melding of Carle’s caterpillar with Robert Indiana’s iconic LOVE on the book’s cover, alas, draws further attention to its derivative nature.
Safe to creep on by. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Dec. 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-448-48932-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2021
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A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren.
In talk-show host Fallon and illustrator Ordóñez’s latest picture-book collaboration, an elderly pooch waxes rhapsodic about a life well lived.
Observing Papa sitting in his chair watching TV all day, a young pup says, “I’m starting to think…you don’t do ANYTHING.” So Papa proceeds to list his accomplishments, both big and small, mundane and profound. Some are just a result of being older and physically bigger (being tall enough to reach a high shelf and strong enough to open jars); others include winning a race and performing in a band when he was younger. Eventually, the pup realizes that while Papa may have slowed down in his old age, he’s led a full life. The most satisfying thing about Papa’s life now? Watching his grandchild take center stage: “I can say lots of thoughts / but I choose to be quiet. / I’d rather you discover things and then try it.” Fallon’s straightforward text is sweetly upbeat, though it occasionally lacks flow, forcing incongruous situations together to fit the rhyme scheme (“I cook and I mow, / and I once flew a plane. // I play newspaper puzzles because it’s good for my brain”). Featuring uncluttered, colorful backgrounds, Ordóñez’s child-friendly digital art at times takes on sepia tones, evoking the sense of looking back at old photos or memories. Though the creators tread familiar ground, the love between Papa and his little one is palpable.
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781250393975
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
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BOOK REVIEW
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