Clever, fun poems that teach young readers about puns and idioms.
From Fleishman (If the Earth Is Round, 2017, etc.), a stimulating volume of poetry for children interested in wordplay.
At the start of this book of 25 poems, Fleishman informs readers that he loves puns and idioms, and he isn’t kidding. In “Rodeo Rick,” a lapsed cowboy gets “back in the saddle again.” In “Lottery Ticket,” a man’s ticket and hopes simultaneously go “down the drain.” In a tug of war between steaks and fish on a grill, “Captain Steak tells his team, ‘Yes, we did it! We won! / I am proud of you steaks. This was very well done!’ ” In “Potato Chip War,” a 12-year-old bemoans the fact that he has to clean up a mess his 6-year-old brother made: “He looks annoyed / With that chip on his shoulder.” Thankfully, not every poem ends with a pun or an idiom. Fleishman’s anecdotes often focus on professional people involved in conundrums, such as “Check, Pretty Please?” where an exhausted waiter discreetly encourages two kings to finish up their meal: “After thinking of ways he can drop subtle hints / He brings out a small tray filled with end-of-meal mints / The two kings thank the waiter, continue to chat / They did not get his hint…oh well, so much for that!” Some poems, like “Dictionary,” evoke Shel Silverstein with their stubbornly determined characters hungry for knowledge: “This dictionary’s fun to read. I will not take a break. / I should be done by 10 PM if I can stay awake.” Fleishman defines homonyms, puns, and idioms in the appendix. He primarily alternates between rhyming couplets and quatrains, providing a steady and consistent rhythm throughout. At times, his noun and verb choices become redundant: “As they sit at a bar by the edge of a pool / Two enormous weightlifters each sit on a stool (emphasis added).” Illustrations by White—which vary in style from clip-art–esque to cartoonish to shades of Beavis and Butt-Head—may keep kids engaged if they get wordplay overload.
Clever, fun poems that teach young readers about puns and idioms.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 55
Publisher: Mindstir Media
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A joyful celebration.
Families in a variety of configurations play, dance, and celebrate together.
The rhymed verse, based on a song from the Noodle Loaf children’s podcast, declares that “Families belong / Together like a puzzle / Different-sized people / One big snuggle.” The accompanying image shows an interracial couple of caregivers (one with brown skin and one pale) cuddling with a pajama-clad toddler with light brown skin and surrounded by two cats and a dog. Subsequent pages show a wide array of families with members of many different racial presentations engaging in bike and bus rides, indoor dance parties, and more. In some, readers see only one caregiver: a father or a grandparent, perhaps. One same-sex couple with two children in tow are expecting another child. Smart’s illustrations are playful and expressive, curating the most joyful moments of family life. The verse, punctuated by the word together, frequently set in oversized font, is gently inclusive at its best but may trip up readers with its irregular rhythms. The song that inspired the book can be found on the Noodle Loaf website.
A joyful celebration. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22276-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Rise x Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2020
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
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