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IT WAS SO QUIET I COULD HEAR A PIN DROP

Name: IT WAS SO QUIET I COULD HEAR A PIN DROP
Author: Andy Goodman
ISBN: 978-1-61689-480-1

by Andy Goodman ; illustrated by Andy Goodman ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 17, 2016

A clever concept, in both progression and design, whose realization sometimes falls short.

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A child listens closely to the breeze as sounds evoke images and imaginings.

Under a great tree, a child pictured only as a pale-blue silhouette swings. Across the sky images float by: a weathervane, feathers, a bright balloon—making the wind tangible. As the story progresses, Goodman plays with perspective, shrinking the child and tree until sounds take center stage. Silhouettes of dandelionlike flowers tower as a bee buzzes by; gears fill the page, representing the ticking of a watch. The author dabbles with onomatopoeia before sounds begin to represent pets, then people. It is the noises of daily life—and their accompanying images—that tell readers much about who constitutes this child’s world. The protagonist knows that Jill sings in the bath; Peter paints while whistling; and Old Thomas naps in the greenhouse. From this auditory intimacy begins a sort of stream of consciousness, as everyday sounds conjure up fantastical thoughts (elephants, cannon, volcanoes!), until the image of the child swinging repeats, with the thought that it was all a dream. The artwork appears to be collage, with inspiration taken from found illustrations. The images stand out on vast white spaces, sometimes with added graphic shapes. Unfortunately, the execution does not always live up to the idea. While some of the spreads contain complementary elements to create a new statement, others rely solely on the repositioning of an image, the resolution of which is at times inconsistent.

A clever concept, in both progression and design, whose realization sometimes falls short. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: May 17, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-61689-480-1

Page Count: 36

Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press

Review Posted Online: March 1, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS

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CHICKA CHICKA HO HO HO

From the Chicka Chicka Book series

by William Boniface ; illustrated by Julien Chung ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2024

A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree.

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A Christmas edition of the beloved alphabet book.

The story starts off nearly identically to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989), written by John Archambault and the late Bill Martin Jr, with the letters A, B, and C deciding to meet in the branches of a tree. This time, they’re attempting to scale a Christmas tree, not a coconut tree, and the letters are strung together like garland. A, B, and C are joined by the other letters, and of course they all “slip, slop, topple, plop!” right down the tree. At the bottom, they discover an assortment of gifts, all in a variety of shapes. As a team, the letters and presents organize themselves to get back up on the Christmas tree and get a star to the top. Holiday iterations of favorite tales often fall flat, but this take succeeds. The gifts are an easy way to reinforce another preschool concept—shapes—and the text uses just enough of the original to be familiar. The rhyming works, sticking to the cadence of the source material. The illustrations pay homage to the late Lois Ehlert’s, featuring the same bold block letters, though they lack some of the whimsy and personality of the original. Otherwise, everything is similarly brightly colored and simply drawn. Those familiar with the classic will be drawn to this one, but newcomers can enjoy it on its own.

A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree. (Picture book. 3-5)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024

ISBN: 9781665954761

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

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THE CRAYONS GIVE THANKS

by Drew Daywalt & illustrated by Oliver Jeffers ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 10, 2024

Formulaic fare that will nevertheless charm devoted followers.

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A few familiar friends explore gratitude.

Daywalt’s crayons have observed many holidays, from Christmas to Earth Day. On Thanksgiving, these anthropomorphic school supplies wax (pun intended) poetic about their favorite things to draw. “Blue is thankful for blueberries.” (The accompanying illustration depicts the stubby crayon leaping into a pile of the fruit.) Black, on a page topped by dark scribbles, “is thankful for night skies.” In an aside, Black adds, “Big, beautiful night skies I get to color in all by myself!” (Blue is perfectly fine with this.) Pink pipes up with “Three glorious words. Amazon. River. Dolphins”—which may spur readers to research these creatures. The tale turns a bit meta, too. Teal is thankful for family—both Blue and Green. Red, surrounded by hearts, is thankful for Neon Green Highlighter, who was accidentally dropped into the crayon box—a “dreamboat” for sure. Recognizable jokes from previous works make appearances; these callbacks will delight staunch fans, though others will find them tiring. Standard cheer and platitudes abound; the crayons are ultimately most grateful for each other.

Formulaic fare that will nevertheless charm devoted followers. (Picture book. 3-6)