Grandmothers are the target audience; skip for children.
A Canadian broadcaster and author of humorous books for adults and children, Richardson takes a departure here to offer an ode to maternal love.
The story about a white, rosy-cheeked mother and daughter who live by the sea is written primarily in the third person. They are poor, but the woman “was determined that gifts would be given when gifts needed giving.” So on each special occasion, starting on the baby’s first birthday, she finds a stone and writes an accompanying poem to place in a basket she’s rescued from someone’s trash. The poem becomes a rhyming refrain for each situation, the first couplet unchanging and the second varying according to the situation. “A stone when it's thrown can damage, can break, / but nothing can shatter the promise I make. / This stone and this promise are all I can give: / I'll love you each day for as long as I live.” Kolesar’s compositions, rendered in watercolor, gouache, graphite, and colored pencil, have a primitive, folk-art quality. A stylized tree figures prominently; at one point its roots form the capillaries of the mother’s heart. The illustrations offer decorative rather than deeper narrative support. Ultimately, the basket is passed along for the grandchild. In the tradition of Robert Munsch’s Love You Forever (1995), the perspective and sentiments are wrapped in adult nostalgia but without drama or humor to maintain a child’s interest.
Grandmothers are the target audience; skip for children. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-77306-089-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Groundwood
Review Posted Online: April 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2019
Eula is a square cat that wants to be round. After all, it’s hard to be a quadratic shape—one can’t wear stripes, circle skirts don’t fit and when one falls over it’s nearly impossible to get up. Patsy and Maude, two oval cats, attempt to help their boxy friend with a makeover, but nothing can disguise the self-conscious, four-sided cat. With a change of perspective, the three learn the beauty of being square, and Eula finds contentment. Schoonmaker’s illustrations, done in pale, pastel watercolors with penwork to define shapes, are simple and consistent. They offer a hint of the Southwest: Eula is almost adobe in color, there are primitive shapes and patterns and the stylization of the animals evokes the aesthetic of Native Americans of the region. The artwork is extremely flat and unfortunately lacks dimension or excitement, but it is friendly and accessible. The author’s real strength is in how she juxtaposes the earnestness of the characters with the silliness of the situation. An easygoing entrée to learning about diverse viewpoints and experiences among peers. (Picture book. 4-6)
Pub Date: Jan. 4, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0619-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
This depiction rings true in its portrayal of the paralysis of fear and the power of the right circumstances to motivate...
George’s fear of the dark is clear from the cover, where the bedsheets are drawn up to his nose; young listeners will want to know if this ends well.
In the daylight, the blond protagonist is fearless. He scales tall trees, rescues damsels in distress and downs insects in a single gulp. The darkened bedroom, however, has him quivering at the threshold. Valentine creates just the right balance of humor and sympathy around her character. Readers will chuckle at his rigid body—parallel to the floor, as his father attempts to pry him from the door—and at the whites of his terrified eyes in the total blackness of the next spread. The gouache-and–colored-pencil illustrations are rendered with visible graphite strokes for these nighttime scenes. This choice adds to the tension on pages where familiar objects appear to have menacing expressions. George’s teddy bear and pajamas (both red) stand out, so when he accidently tosses his blanket-wrapped companion across the room during the climax, observant viewers will know something before George does. The boy’s empathy for another (his bear is scared too) prompts him to summon his courage, venture past the shark-shaped laundry basket and conquer his debilitating emotions.
This depiction rings true in its portrayal of the paralysis of fear and the power of the right circumstances to motivate change. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-449-81334-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2014
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
