by Carolyn Dibb & illustrated by Kent McAlister ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 22, 2015
Ideal for only children and their perfectly sized families.
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A heartwarming, insightful debut children’s book about an only child who wonders what it would be like to have a bigger family.
Natalie and her best friend, Shayla, are having the best summer. Both girls and their families are on a big camping trip, which means fishing, bonfires, s’mores, and everything else that the great outdoors has to offer. Sitting around the campfire, Natalie sees Shayla and her older brother, Steven, share a private giggle, and Natalie feels a twinge deep inside. As an only child, she wonders what it would be like to have a brother or sister. Shayla helps her weigh the pros and cons before retreating back to her family’s tent to play cards with Steven. As Natalie longingly looks at Shayla’s tent, Natalie’s dad sees her wistful expression. Using the night sky and the stars as a map, Natalie’s dad shows her how a family may not just be people who share a home—the stars that dance around their home constellation are special, too. Dibb’s book is a wonderful addition to any household with an only child. As Dibb says in her preface, parents may have many reasons for having only one child, and instead of having to explain those myriad and possibly complicated reasons to a child, this book directly addresses the child’s sense of longing. The prose is easy to understand (for little readers) without being dumbed down or overly clinical. Parents can inject their own personal stories after a reading. McAllister’s simple illustrations, in muted, pastel colors, enhance the tale.
Ideal for only children and their perfectly sized families.Pub Date: April 22, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-5043-2689-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: BalboaPress
Review Posted Online: Sept. 11, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Pete Seeger & Paul Dubois Jacobs & illustrated by Michael Hays ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2001
The seemingly ageless Seeger brings back his renowned giant for another go in a tuneful tale that, like the art, is a bit sketchy, but chockful of worthy messages. Faced with yearly floods and droughts since they’ve cut down all their trees, the townsfolk decide to build a dam—but the project is stymied by a boulder that is too huge to move. Call on Abiyoyo, suggests the granddaughter of the man with the magic wand, then just “Zoop Zoop” him away again. But the rock that Abiyoyo obligingly flings aside smashes the wand. How to avoid Abiyoyo’s destruction now? Sing the monster to sleep, then make it a peaceful, tree-planting member of the community, of course. Seeger sums it up in a postscript: “every community must learn to manage its giants.” Hays, who illustrated the original (1986), creates colorful, if unfinished-looking, scenes featuring a notably multicultural human cast and a towering Cubist fantasy of a giant. The song, based on a Xhosa lullaby, still has that hard-to-resist sing-along potential, and the themes of waging peace, collective action, and the benefits of sound ecological practices are presented in ways that children will both appreciate and enjoy. (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-83271-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2001
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by Pete Seeger & Paul Dubois Jacobs & illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
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by Janice Boland & illustrated by G. Brian Karas ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1996
A book that will make young dog-owners smile in recognition and confirm dogless readers' worst suspicions about the mayhem caused by pets, even winsome ones. Sam, who bears passing resemblance to an affable golden retriever, is praised for fetching the family newspaper, and goes on to fetch every other newspaper on the block. In the next story, only the children love Sam's swimming; he is yelled at by lifeguards and fishermen alike when he splashes through every watering hole he can find. Finally, there is woe to the entire family when Sam is bored and lonely for one long night. Boland has an essential message, captured in both both story and illustrations of this Easy-to-Read: Kids and dogs belong together, especially when it's a fun-loving canine like Sam. An appealing tale. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-8037-1530-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1996
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