A clever and heartwarming tale starring a grouchy hero.
A grumpy, Grinch-like creature discovers that the love he tries to get rid of keeps coming back in this picture book.
Grumbler, a potato-shaped figure with a broken, polka-dot pot for a cap, lives alone in the dump. In a crabby mood, he kicks a can of tuna—right into the paws of a hungry cat. When the feline thanks him, a heart shape extends from her chest in wonderfully cartoonish fashion. A flying heart floats over to Grumbler. Irritated by the itchy love, Grumbler tries to give the heart to two squirrels. But the love multiplies and returns. Grumbler attempts to give the love to some bunnies and then to a whole pond of creatures. Grumbler thinks he’s finally escaped and returns to the dump. But when he sees that love has brought all the animals to visit him, he realizes maybe it isn’t so bad after all. Haughee (How I Met My Other, 2019, etc.) handles the story’s message with just the right amount of cranky humor to keep it from becoming too sweet. The vocabulary challenges are all fun-to-pronounce words that young readers will enjoy, and Veselinovic’s (Where Will You Go, Ricky Jo?, 2018, etc.) charming, kid-friendly digital illustrations, populated with affable forest denizens, should be a hit. Grumbler’s heart may not grow three sizes, but he’ll keep the Grinch in good company.
A clever and heartwarming tale starring a grouchy hero.Pub Date: March 30, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-949935-03-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orange Blossom Publishing
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
More gift book than storybook, this is a meaningful addition to nursery bookshelves
A young child explores the unlimited potential inherent in all humans.
“Have you ever wondered why you are here?” asks the second-person narration. There is no one like you. Maybe you’re here to make a difference with your uniqueness; maybe you will speak for those who can’t or use your gifts to shine a light into the darkness. The no-frills, unrhymed narrative encourages readers to follow their hearts and tap into their limitless potential to be anything and do anything. The precisely inked and colored artwork plays with perspective from the first double-page spread, in which the child contemplates a mountain (or maybe an iceberg) in their hands. Later, they stand on a ladder to place white spots on tall, red mushrooms. The oversized flora and fauna seem to symbolize the presumptively insurmountable, reinforcing the book’s message that anything is possible. This quiet read, with its sophisticated central question, encourages children to reach for their untapped potential while reminding them it won’t be easy—they will make messes and mistakes—but the magic within can help overcome falls and failures. It’s unlikely that members of the intended audience have begun to wonder about their life’s purpose, but this life-affirming mood piece has honorable intentions. The child, accompanied by an adorable piglet and sporting overalls and a bird-beaked cap made of leaves, presents white.
More gift book than storybook, this is a meaningful addition to nursery bookshelves . (Picture book. 2-8)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-946873-75-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: May 21, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2019
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