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PUDDLE JUMPERS

Name: PUDDLE JUMPERS
Author: Anne Margaret Lewis
ISBN: 978-1-63450-185-9

by Anne Margaret Lewis ; illustrated by Nancy Cote ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 2, 2016

The cheery, yellow-slickered tot brims with child exuberance.

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A little boy imagines himself with many animals as he jumps into a puddle.

His mother admonishes, “No! No jumping in puddles! / You must keep clean today!” But the puddle whispers and tempts him: “Jump, Puddle Jumper, jump!” So the fair-skinned boy plants his galoshes squarely in the water and wishes himself away, pretending to be a frog, a crocodile, a penguin, and more. Each double-page spread focuses on one animal with a descriptive, rhyming couplet, echoing the refrain with various action words. When he is with a crocodile (green with pink polka dots), it is “Snap, Puddle Jumper, snap!” When he is with a polar bear (with purple hair instead of white), it is “Plunge, Puddle Jumper, plunge!” Each animal has a water or water-adjacent habitat—even the toucan in the rain-streaked sky. The wide variety of creatures from a manatee to a dragonfly is appreciated. However, the flattened art and lack of dramatic action hardly make this story spring. Luckily the repetition propels it forward, and the surprise ending when Mother jumps in too will make for many smiles.

The cheery, yellow-slickered tot brims with child exuberance. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-63450-185-9

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Sky Pony Press

Review Posted Online: Nov. 2, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2015

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

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THE RUNAWAY SANTA
by Anne Margaret Lewis ; illustrated by Aaron Zenz

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THE RUNAWAY PUMPKIN
by Anne Margaret Lewis ; illustrated by Aaron Zenz

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FLY BLANKY FLY
by Anne Margaret Lewis & illustrated by Elisa Chavarri

WHEN I TALK TO GOD, I TALK ABOUT FEELINGS

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WHEN I TALK TO GOD, I TALK ABOUT FEELINGS

by Chrissy Metz & Bradley Collins ; illustrated by Lisa Fields ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 4, 2025

A tender book to help little ones make sense of the emotions around prayer.

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Actor Metz and songwriter Collins join illustrator Fields in their second faith-related title for young children.

Instead of focusing on the language of prayer—what to say or how to say it—this book explores a topic central to the lives of the very young: their feelings around talking to God. Rhymes and near-rhymes in the AABB verses enumerate the simple challenges and triumphs experienced by a series of animals: “Sometimes I’m sad, not sure what to do. / There are days I feel teary, unhappy, or blue. / I fell off a log. I’m embarrassed and hurt. / My coat and paws are all covered in dirt.” An accompanying illustration depicts a sad wolf pup, a definite contrast to its siblings, who are delighting in their play. The highlight of the book is Fields’ animal characters. Whether happy, nervous, or sad, their expressive faces are easy to read, and their feelings will be familiar to young tots. The beaver’s frustration is palpable, and the tears in the scared raccoon’s eyes may just make readers’ own eyes well up. Some of the animals have a God stand-in to help them with their feelings—a friend or family member—but the final spread shows all the individual animals coming together in a couple of group hugs that express where children can find support (and sweetly defy predator–prey relationships).

A tender book to help little ones make sense of the emotions around prayer. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: March 4, 2025

ISBN: 9780593691366

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Flamingo Books

Review Posted Online: Nov. 9, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S RELIGIOUS FICTION | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

- BOOK REVIEW
WHEN I TALK TO GOD, I TALK ABOUT YOU
by Chrissy Metz & Bradley Collins ; illustrated by Lisa Fields

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IS IT CHRISTMAS YET?

by Jane Chapman ; illustrated by Jane Chapman ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2013

A story with a youngster getting ready for Christmas with just his dad should be a welcome choice for single fathers to...

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A little bear named Teddy gets ready for Christmas with his father, Big Bear, in this decidedly cheerful British import.

Teddy is anxiously awaiting the arrival of Christmas, asking his father endless questions in the manner of little ones everywhere. Father and son work together to wrap presents, bake a cake and search for a Christmas tree. The tree that Teddy chooses is too large to fit through the doors of their house, and when they bring it through the window, the top of the tree snaps off. Teddy dissolves into tears at the accident, but father and son work together to repair the damage and decorate the tree for Christmas Eve. A joyful concluding spread shows the bear pair on Christmas morning, sprawled under their tree, eating cake and candy and enjoying their unwrapped gifts. The text is aggressively jolly, with sound effects and key words and phrases set in display type and lots of exclamation marks. But Chapman’s large-format illustrations are appealing, with plenty of humor and motion, and her bears are amusing—especially Teddy, who really does look like a teddy bear come to life.

A story with a youngster getting ready for Christmas with just his dad should be a welcome choice for single fathers to share with their children. (Picture book. 3-6)