A charming animal tale about perseverance that has the feel of a children’s classic.
A baby owl struggles to learn how to hoot in this debut picture book.
At the end of a trail deep in the woods, a nest holds three perfect eggs presided over by a mother owl. She decides to name the owlet who hatches first Benjamin. (Thomas and Martin are hatched the next day.) Although Benjamin is the fastest, highest flier, and best hunter of any owl his age, he’s got a problem: He can’t hoot. When he tries, he reproduces other animal sounds he’s heard. His father is strict but encouraging: “ ‘No son of mine will be flying around the forest meowing like a kitty cat or singing like a chickadee,’ said Father Owl. ‘Keep trying, son. You can do it! I believe in you.’ ” Benjamin’s first efforts at proper hooting are hilariously mixed: “Cock-a-doodle-hoo! Hoot-a-dee-dee-dee!” But Benjamin keeps striving, and before long he’s hooting as an owl should. In her book, Becki Walsh offers a perfect read-aloud story. The repetition is very effective in building expectations and suspense for young readers, and the text supplies many opportunities for kids to join in on the animal sounds, which are bolstered by effective typography (the creatures’ vocalizations are in one font; Benjamin’s imitations are in another). Debut illustrator Madeleine Riley Walsh delivers attractive images with soft colors and precise linework. They deftly capture the animals, giving them expressive countenances that fit the narrative—for example, the cat’s inquisitive glance and Benjamin’s huge, staring, perplexed round eyes.
A charming animal tale about perseverance that has the feel of a children’s classic.Pub Date: Nov. 21, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5255-1279-7
Page Count: 36
Publisher: FriesenPress
Review Posted Online: Feb. 7, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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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