A charming ode for beginning young bards.
A poem defined in poetry.
A group of woodland creatures crowds around a book asking a question that many wonder: “What’s a poem?” One rabbit’s answer, that “a poem can be anything,” doesn’t add much clarity. A bewildered bear asks, “What? / What can a poem be?” Each animal offers possibilities. Wise owl believes that “a poem is a whisper. / Whooooooo.” But a playful wolf thinks the opposite: “A poem is a shout. / Hoooowllllllll.” A prickly hedgehog explains (as it performs a swan dive that ends with it curled into a ball), “A poem is a thought … / … turned inside out.” The smooth sway of each animal’s answer lets readers begin to feel what poetry is. The musical language dips and crescendos. A tiny spider offers, “A poem is a spiderweb / spun with words of wonder… / … like woven lace held in place / by whispers made of thunder.” With backgrounds rendered in a palette dominated by greens and yellows of the daytime, then modulating to the deep blues of the forest night, Hyde’s stylized, stuffed-toy–like depictions of the animals add whimsy to their deep thoughts. Poetry is not easily defined, but it echoes long after it’s been read: “Follow it and trust your way / with mind and heart as one. / And when the journey’s over, / you’ll find you’ve just begun.”
A charming ode for beginning young bards. (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: May 28, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7643-6108-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Schiffer
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A cheery story that “wool” likely evoke some smiles.
A “baa”-nd of pirates gets the wool pulled over their eyes.
After a treasure-hunting foray, Captain Hoof and his crew of fleecy sheep are homeward bound with a glittery bounty—the lost Golden Shears, which once belonged to the infamous Woolly Jones. Suddenly, huge waves engulf and smash their ship. They’re sheepwrecked and stranded on Foggy Island, home to none other than Woolly Jones. After nearly a month of failed attempts to get off the island, Captain Hoof decides to return the shears to their rightful owner. Trekking across the island through fog as thick and impenetrable as wool, captain and crew eventually bump into their nemesis, who snatches the shears from the captain’s hooves. Expecting dire consequences, everyone starts to flee, but things turn out wool, er, well. In a 90-degree book turn, Woolly is depicted using the shears to give himself a much-needed “woolcut.” He’s grateful for the shears—and for the company after a long, lonely spell. Captain Hoof and crew are delighted at this outcome. This is a cute tale, though the plot is a bit thin; the numerous, amusing sheep puns will appeal more to grown-ups than kids. But the digital illustrations are comical and dynamic, and the all-ovine protagonists are lively and expressive. The book contains lots of typographical creativity, including some onomatopoeic words, incorporated into the artwork, and maps in the endpapers include islands bearing funny, aptly punny names.
A cheery story that “wool” likely evoke some smiles. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: July 9, 2024
ISBN: 9780593569665
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2024
A muddled message shoots for the moon but never quite gets all the way off the ground.
A little mouse experiences BIG changes thanks to a spectacular talent.
Dee’s a singer to her core. She croons absolutely everywhere, so when her teacher Miss Pink suggests that her students bring in something that symbolizes what they enjoy doing, Dee brings in a song. As she sings it, however, her joy causes her to physically grow huge! At first this makes her feel special, but as the day goes on she feels lonely and out of place. Shrinking back to her normal size, she worries that this means she can never sing again. But thanks to the encouragement of her mother and little sister, she realizes that being special is nothing to be ashamed of. However, though her classmates have skills of their own, only Dee changes, indicating that some talents are more transformative than others. After all, while everyone is enthralled by Dee, Ren the turtle’s talent for drawing a replica of a space station is something he “made everyone watch.” The true standout in this show comes from Sinquett’s dynamic art, capable of encompassing the emotional highs and lows of elementary school kids. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A muddled message shoots for the moon but never quite gets all the way off the ground. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-368-07806-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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