A sweet, inclusive picture book about imagining loved ones together.
In rhyming verse, Hoyt’s timely picture book explores the theme of being distanced from loved ones.
The story opens with a young child with blue eyes, pale skin, and brown hair, ball and glove nearby, imagining a loved one with brown skin and curly hair who is far away. “Oh, the fun things we’d do!” the child states, proceeding to imagine all of those fun events. Whether it’s drawing with chalk and singing lullabies or doing something a little more out of the box, like going on a safari or observing dinosaurs, the activities are perfect child suggestions. Hoyt offers both realistic and pretend play options, and the uncredited digital cartoon illustrations feature a wonderfully wide variety of people: same-aged friends play together, grandparents dance with grandchildren, and younger adults pair with children. The pictured loved ones frequently share the same features, but they sometimes don’t, showing that loving someone doesn’t have to be a matter of genetic similarity but can be chosen family. The emphasis on togetherness includes being together apart; one image of a young blond child emphasizes that time can be spent “through visits or letters, video chats, or a phone call.” Hoyt’s rhyming phrases feature a simple vocabulary and scan well throughout. While the poetry is broad enough to encompass families or friends who are separated, the timing of publication during the Covid-19 pandemic makes the words have even greater resonance.
A sweet, inclusive picture book about imagining loved ones together.Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-228-83607-0
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Tellwell Talent
Review Posted Online: Feb. 13, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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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