A charming poem-story, competently illustrated, that will especially appeal to poets.
In this picture book, poetic words unveil the power of imagination in reading.
Through nuance and metaphor, poet Collins delivers the promise of imaginative worlds that await readers who immerse themselves in words. He tells a story of a boy who sails off on a boat that, when out of sight of land, turns into a book, which the boy reads and which then, in delightful circularity, becomes part of his life. Illustrator Romagna does a good job of amplifying the text with her workmanlike images while at the same time inserting visual connecting points to keep it earthbound enough that less poetically inclined readers don’t get lost. At times, the boy in the illustrations looks somewhat flat, lacking a clear animating spark, but on the whole, Romagna does a commendable job. The book is on the small side (10 inches by 7 inches), although it does have a landscape orientation—a good choice for a book about a journey. But a larger trim size would have the effect of giving a welcome physical breadth to a story about the expansiveness of imagination. The final page repeats the poem in full, printed within an illustration of an open book—another connection for readers to ponder, another flight of fancy offered.
A charming poem-story, competently illustrated, that will especially appeal to poets. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-59373-154-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bunker Hill
Review Posted Online: July 30, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2014
A Midwestern child’s flights of fancy that are nicely grounded in childhood reality.
A girl takes nighttime dream flights over the landscape below in this picture book for children.
Growing up in Wisconsin, an almost-7-year-old girl named Jamie-Lee Agnes Nelson likes playing outdoors or dressing up like a princess. Jamie-Lee, known as Jamie, also likes her privacy—for reading, daydreaming, or enjoying nature—and even dares to enter the backyard of her strange neighbor, Mr. Harry (nicknamed “Scary Harry”), to sit in his swing and watch the sun rise. Trying to fall asleep one night, she imagines she’s floating upward into the sky, able to see everything down below. Though clumsy on the ground, in the air Jamie feels masterful. It’s so satisfying that she goes on these dreamy journeys every night, exploring everything from her grandparents’ farm to the aurora borealis. Years later, having almost forgotten her flying, she recalls it with affection—and even makes friends with Mr. Harry. Jamie’s character shows a healthy balance between dreamy imaginativeness and earthy, regular-girl energy; she hopes to be a fancy princess, but she wears her hair in braids to avoid combing it. The girl’s flying becomes more convincing thanks to well-chosen sensory details, such as “the hushed soughing of the sturdy, twisting oaks in the breezes.” Similarly, while the book is nostalgic for a time when kids wandered around outside all day by themselves, its young heroine takes the view—perhaps more freely expressed today than in the past—that some grown-ups can be off-putting. The rapprochement between Jamie and Mr. Harry could be more solidly accounted for; though it seems to have something to do with remembering her flights, the link is tenuous. The quirky, soft pastel pencil illustrations capture the story’s wonder, adding charming details like a bird painting that comes to life when Jamie flies.
A Midwestern child’s flights of fancy that are nicely grounded in childhood reality.Pub Date: Nov. 15, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-973678-94-6
Page Count: 30
Publisher: Westbow Press
Review Posted Online: May 14, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Playful, creative illustrations showcase a plucky, unlikely hero whose quest to survive will delight.
In this wordless tale, Mr. Buttonman, a tiny, slender stick figure stitched from black thread with a blue button head, innocently picks a daisy from a grassy landscape. Suddenly, a woman unceremoniously grabs him by his button head and tosses him into her pocketbook, where he finds himself surrounded by keys, coin purse, lipstick, pins, coins, and a cough drop. After carrying Mr. Buttonman to her home, the woman drops him into a jar filled with assorted buttons on her sewing table. Frantically rattling the jar, Mr. Buttonman manages to tip it over and jettison himself onto the table, but he literally loses his head in the process. Following several failed attempts to replace his missing head with different buttons, Mr. Buttonman locates his own blue button and deftly stitches it in place. But how will he escape this house and the fierce, interfering marmalade cat that thinks Mr. Buttonman’s the perfect toy? Mr. Buttonman’s abduction and subsequent actions to escape are revealed through illustrations hand-stitched from appliqued fabric, buttons, thread, and yarn, using simple shapes and bright colors. Close-up scenes showcase Mr. Buttonman as an action hero, fighting his way out of the jar and resourcefully using materials at hand, despite his diminutive size and fragile physique.
Playful, creative illustrations showcase a plucky, unlikely hero whose quest to survive will delight. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-772290-28-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simply Read Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
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