An informative, exciting book about a truly valuable topic.
A debut overview of university life written for very young students.
In an elementary classroom setting, Miss Sims begins a discussion about college, “where you can learn to be whatever you want to be when you grow up.” The students, when asked about their aspirations, eagerly share their lofty dreams, such as becoming a doctor, a teacher, or a pilot. The teacher then briefly explains some of the logistics of college—such as how to pay for it with scholarships, loans, and jobs—before delving into its exciting opportunities: meeting new people, volunteering in the community, participating in school organizations, and even studying abroad. At the end, she asks, “Who thinks they’ll go to college someday?” And the response is a resounding affirmative. Patterson does a fantastic job of presenting the most important and thrilling parts of the college experience, which will surely motivate young students to later attend. The noticeable diversity among the students (black, white, and Asian; male and female) sends a clear message that anyone can pursue higher education (“You can be the first in your family to go”). Also, Prajogo’s (Banana Chronicles: The Lost Medallion, 2017, etc.) vivid illustrations with a chalkboard-green theme capture the excitement of education and even show the kids as young adults.
An informative, exciting book about a truly valuable topic.Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68401-385-2
Page Count: 38
Publisher: Mascot Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 9, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 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
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
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