An imaginative backyard jaunt.
A debut picture book about a boy with a big imagination.
Graves wrote this book, an homage to playing in the backyard, for the children he works with at the Ithaca, NY–based Franziska Racker Centers for people with special needs. Each page features a verse about young Beaner (Brandon’s nickname at the Centers) and the wonders that he discovers in his own backyard. A few of the delights include: “I climb up to where / the view is the best. / When I get near the top, / I find a bird’s nest”; “When the weather gets hot, / I’ve got it made. / I kick back, relax / and nap in the shade”; and “As the weather gets cold / and the wind begins to blow, / I like hanging out in my fort / made of snow.” Each line gets its own page, with bright, full-page illustrations depicting the cartoonish Beaner in lush outdoor scenes. The images of Beaner tend to be exaggerated, highlighting his huge eyes and pointy hair, but the landscapes are lovely, featuring bright, deep colors that shine from the pages. The illustrations also capture natural details, such as branches and leaves, quite well. At the story’s end, Beaner wakes up, and readers see an urban skyline outside his window, revealing that he’s actually a city kid dreaming of a backyard—a theme that will certainly resonate with other city kids. The book’s afterword explains that Graves published the book shortly after being diagnosed with brain cancer. Now a cancer survivor, the author writes that he hopes to publish other inspiring children’s stories like this one. This pleasant book is also short and easy to read, making it a good choice for early readers.
An imaginative backyard jaunt.Pub Date: May 4, 2012
ISBN: 978-1468595499
Page Count: 24
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Review Posted Online: Nov. 5, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An enjoyable picture book that addresses important issues in a kid-friendly way without being preachy.
Willenbrock’s heartwarming debut picture book is the autobiographical story of how she came to share her home with a special shelter dog.
Told from the perspective of Marshall, Willenbrock’s dog, this tale tells of his unpleasant life in the home of a dog hoarder, where food for the dogs was so scarce that they fought each other at mealtime. In one of these fights, Marshall’s front leg was broken and his face was badly bitten. When animal rescuers finally found out about the animal hoarder and took the dogs away, Marshall was in such sorry shape that they didn’t know if he would make it. He ended up losing his damaged front leg and his face remained badly scarred, yet he describes the compassion of the humane society workers who helped him learn how to walk and run on three legs. He meets his new “mom” (owner) and adjusts to a life of freedom with her and her other dog, Mooshy. Though life is good, Marshall is insecure and nervous about how other dogs and people will react to the fact that he has only three legs and a big scar on his face, but he’s pleasantly surprised by the kindness of others. Heimbaugh’s realistic colored-pencil illustrations help bring Marshall’s story to life. Due to wordiness and the use of some bigger words—celebrity, socialize, limitations—this book will most likely work better as a read-aloud with school-age children. It also lends itself to discussions about the humane treatment of animals and discussions about bullying.
An enjoyable picture book that addresses important issues in a kid-friendly way without being preachy.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0615666259
Page Count: 40
Publisher: The Marshall Movement
Review Posted Online: Oct. 9, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Unanswered questions and heavy-handed writing drain intrigue from this not-so-spooky story.
Three friends unravel old secrets lurking beneath the surface of a picture-perfect town in this young adult mystery.
Fallon and her best friend, Blair, live in the town of Whitford, a “sort of old fashioned” place where “everyone knows everyone else.” Nothing ever goes wrong there, except for local 16-year-old girls’ penchant for drowning in Whitford Pond on their 16th birthdays. That is, nothing ever goes wrong until Blair, Fallon and their new friend Lila start investigating the drownings as part of a history project. Soon after the girls paddle out to the spooky island at the middle of the pond where its victims are buried, Fallon discovers that she’s related to the pond’s first victim: Elizabeth Mason, who was engaged to the prosperous son of the town jeweler before her supposed suicide in 1750. By poking around the town historical society and badgering Fallon’s lively grandmother, Nana, the girls realize that something sinister lurks beneath Whitford’s bucolic surface. It’s only when the trio heads to the fourth floor of Whitford’s public library in search of A Genealogy of the Noble Families of Whitford: A History that they realize their quest is putting them in danger. Blair and Fallon’s friendship feels comfortable and credible, although the addition of “exotic” Lila seems like a strained plot device rather than a real-life event. Indeed, much of the plotting is convenient rather than clever; the girls’ discoveries primarily result from pushing Nana to give them information or snooping around Nana’s house—and the developments that aren’t related to Nana are foreshadowed so heavily that they come as no surprise. Another distraction: Every time that the inhabitants of Whitford scream or emphasize a turn of phrase, Fredo uses capital letters. They’re are unnecessary, for example, when Fallon says, “I JUST HAD THE BEST IDEA EVER!”
Unanswered questions and heavy-handed writing drain intrigue from this not-so-spooky story.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 172
Publisher: iUniverse
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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