by Carol Hunt Senderak & illustrated by Hiroe Nakata ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2006
Separation anxiety can be a factor for both mommy and child when anticipating the first day of school. This little bunny wishes her mom could shrink to just the right size, fit in her pocket, “near my beating heart,” and safely be with her all day. With mommy secretly close by, little bunny could enjoy reading, lunch, art and even playtime. Nakata’s mixed-media cartoon-style paintings, some single scenes, others four to a page, and some full-page spreads, add details to a somewhat uneven rhymed text. “At playtime, I would run about, / Watching my pocket so Mommy wouldn’t fall out.” Little bunny concludes feeling more comfortable by spiritually keeping mommy’s hug and kiss with her. “Yet when school starts, I know I’ll be okay, / Because the love in Mommy’s hug and kiss . . . / will stay with me all day!” Additional fare when compared with the classic Will I Have a Friend, by Miriam Cohen (1967), or the popular The Kissing Hand, by Audrey Penn (1993). (Picture book. 3-5)
Pub Date: April 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-7868-5596-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2006
Share your opinion of this book
by Anna McQuinn & illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 1, 2010
Lola’s daddy takes her to the library every Saturday, where she finds “excellent books,” and every night her mommy or daddy reads them to her. The next day Lola acts out the story. On Sunday she’s a fairy princess; on Monday she takes her toy animals “on fantastic trips to places like Paris”; on Wednesday she’s a tiger, etc. Each new book and day provides Lola with a variety of tales to play out, with the last one—which is about a wild monster—posing the question, “What will Lola be tomorrow?” The final page shows her in a wolf suit just like Max’s. The library books, the pretending and the incorporation of the days of the week work together as a simple and pleasing premise. Beardshaw’s acrylic illustrations depict the multicultural kids and Lola’s black family with childlike charm, while the title will have librarians, parents and booksellers smiling. Alert: The book will be an invitation for lap kids to follow Lola’s lead—not such a bad thing. (Picture book. 3-5)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-58089-258-2
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2010
Share your opinion of this book
More In The Series
by Anna McQuinn ; illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw
by Anna McQuinn ; illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw
by Anna McQuinn ; illustrated by Ruth Hearson
More by Anna McQuinn
BOOK REVIEW
by Anna McQuinn ; illustrated by Ruth Hearson
BOOK REVIEW
by Anna McQuinn ; illustrated by Ruth Hearson
BOOK REVIEW
by Anna McQuinn ; illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw
by Paul Schmid ; illustrated by Paul Schmid ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 1, 2014
Still, this young boy’s imagination is a powerful force for helping him deal with life, something that should be true for...
Oliver, of first-day-of-school alligator fame, is back, imagining adventures and still struggling to find balance between introversion and extroversion.
“When Oliver found his egg…” on the playground, mint-green backgrounds signifying Oliver’s flight into fancy slowly grow larger until they take up entire spreads; Oliver’s creature, white and dinosaurlike with orange polka dots, grows larger with them. Their adventures include sharing treats, sailing the seas and going into outer space. A classmate’s yell brings him back to reality, where readers see him sitting on top of a rock. Even considering Schmid’s scribbly style, readers can almost see the wheels turning in his head as he ponders the girl and whether or not to give up his solitary play. “But when Oliver found his rock… // Oliver imagined many adventures // with all his friends!” This last is on a double gatefold that opens to show the children enjoying the creature’s slippery curves. A final wordless spread depicts all the children sitting on rocks, expressions gleeful, wondering, waiting, hopeful. The illustrations, done in pastel pencil and digital color, again make masterful use of white space and page turns, although this tale is not nearly as funny or tongue-in-cheek as Oliver and His Alligator (2013), nor is its message as clear and immediately accessible to children.
Still, this young boy’s imagination is a powerful force for helping him deal with life, something that should be true for all children but sadly isn’t. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: July 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4231-7573-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
Share your opinion of this book
More by Michelle Sinclair Colman
BOOK REVIEW
by Michelle Sinclair Colman ; illustrated by Paul Schmid
BOOK REVIEW
by Michelle Sinclair Colman ; illustrated by Paul Schmid
BOOK REVIEW
by Laurie Ann Thompson ; illustrated by Paul Schmid
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
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.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.