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
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
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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