A soothing, slumber-inducing story for young readers.
A sleep aid for preschoolers by prolific children’s-book author Egan (The Kitten Who Wants to Be the Boss of Her Temper, 2015, etc.).
Misti, a kitten, wants very much to go to sleep, but she has many things on her mind. Fortunately, she has a fairy grandmother who’s eager to help her and her friend (the reader) drift off. First, the fairy grandmother summons two unnamed elves to put Misti’s worries in a basket and take them to their workshop to develop solutions. Three girl teddy bears, Wynken, Blynken, and Nod, also provide assistance. The whole party floats down a staircase and encounters a drowsy puppy and Snuggles, a dozy squirrel, both of whom convey advice in rhyme (“Slowly breathe in at the end of the day, / Slowly breathe out to send worries away"). Finally, the fairy grandmother produces magical, sweet-smelling petals that, along with a magic spell, will send the most reluctant, recalcitrant preschooler to slumberland. The story of Misti, though, is only one component of Egan’s program. The author also includes instructions on how adults may best use the story as well as general advice for falling asleep that’s suitable for all ages. (She also includes summaries of other books in The Kitten Who… series.) Egan makes the story interactive and soothing, encouraging caregivers to read it to the end whether children fall asleep or not. She helpfully provides opportunities to insert a child’s name into the narrative (“Do you like doing these things too, [name]?”) as well as guidelines on which words to emphasize or draw out. The rather silly story is primarily intended for preschoolers, but the advice is useful for all ages (although adult insomniacs are unlikely to buy this book for themselves). Egan also makes quite clear that the illustrations are secondary to the narrative; visualizing the story for oneself is part of the process.
A soothing, slumber-inducing story for young readers.Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-925110-84-5
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Leaves of Gold Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 10, 2016
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
Gooney Bird Greene (with a silent E) is not your average second grader. She arrives in Mrs. Pidgeon’s class announcing: “I’m your new student and I just moved here from China. I want a desk right smack in the middle of the room, because I like to be right smack in the middle of everything.” Everything about her is unusual and mysterious—her clothes, hairstyles, even her lunches. Since the second graders have never met anyone like Gooney Bird, they want to hear more about her. Mrs. Pidgeon has been talking to the class about what makes a good story, so it stands to reason that Gooney will get her chance. She tells a series of stories that explain her name, how she came from China on a flying carpet, how she got diamond earrings at the prince’s palace, and why she was late for school (because she was directing a symphony orchestra). And her stories are “absolutely true.” Actually, they are explainable and mesh precisely with the teacher’s lesson, more important, they are a clever device that exemplify the elements of good storytelling and writing and also demonstrate how everyone can turn everyday events into stories. Savvy teachers should take note and add this to their shelf of “how a story is made” titles. Gooney Bird’s stories are printed in larger type than the narrative and the black-and-white drawings add the right touch of sauciness (only the cover is in color). A hybrid of Harriet, Blossom, and Anastasia, irrepressible Gooney Bird is that rare bird in children’s fiction: one that instantly becomes an amusing and popular favorite. (Fiction. 6-9)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-618-23848-4
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Walter Lorraine/Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2002
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