Exceptional, exhilarating artwork perfectly suited for a story about anticipation, discovery and joy. (Picture book. 2-6)
Maurice, a little bear, can’t wait to experience his first spring, so while Mama hibernates, he goes looking for it.
Even though woodland friends Squirrel, Rabbit, Deer and Robin tell him it isn’t quite time yet, Maurice soon mistakes falling snow’s icy beauty for springtime. Cut-paper collages, enlivened by subtly placed ephemera, create manifold, bafflingly luminous and engaging illustrations. Photographed and reproduced to fill every double-page spread in this immensely pleasurable seasonal story, they offer a sense of continuum (perfect for a tale of cyclical change), luxuriant space and a wonderfully immersive reading experience. Snippets of newsprint, handwriting, lined composition paper, faded letters and old books simply beg for scrutiny. Cut-paper forms, the raised edges of which cast little shadows within the collages, challenge two-dimensionality and enchant readers. Petals, tree trunks, evergreen boughs and berry bushes appear as sculptural shapes, multidimensional and magical, bestowing on young children the same pleasurably disorienting and dazzling confusion the little bear feels when holding his first ice crystal. Maurice awakes to find his red scarf wet from the snowball he hoped to save, a sweet wink to Peter and his Snowy Day, but he also finds spring itself in all its budded, bountiful, glory.
Exceptional, exhilarating artwork perfectly suited for a story about anticipation, discovery and joy. (Picture book. 2-6)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-225019-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2014
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.
A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.
Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A disappointing follow-up.
Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).
While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.
A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
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