A helpful, encouraging read for kids at a crucial life stage.
A fairy encourages children to give up their pacifiers in Attry, Febvre, and Lawson’s picture book, illustrated by Huette (Rare Patients in the Waiting Room, 2012, etc.).
Pacita, a dark-haired, light-skinned, humanlike fairy, visits anthropomorphic animal children when it’s time for them to surrender their pacifiers. The narrator explains that in order “to speak like a big kid, paci needs to come out.” In exchange, Pacita leaves the kids an encouraging “letter full of wisdom and grace.” In it, the fairy explains that their “soothie” will be added to her own extensive collection, where it will be displayed in its own cubbyhole. The narrator acknowledges the difficulties that many children have without the comfort of their pacifiers, emphasizing that it’s “OK to feel sad.” Pacita later returns with a second letter: “Congrats!” it says. “Soothie’s no longer needed! The challenge seemed grand but you have succeeded!” Huette’s digital, cartoon-style illustrations are colorful and sweet, offering playful, charming scenes featuring animal children, Pacita’s pacifier collection, and her visits to various households. The story’s intent is clear and specific, and it will be helpful for youngsters who are getting ready to make a change. The book’s back matter features in-depth information for adults about pacifier use, including practical advice from a clinical psychologist.
A helpful, encouraging read for kids at a crucial life stage.Pub Date: May 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-73345-680-7
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Beyond the Bridge Communications, LLC
Review Posted Online: Feb. 10, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
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The greening of Dr. Seuss, in an ecology fable with an obvious message but a savingly silly style. In the desolate land of the Lifted Lorax, an aged creature called the Once-ler tells a young visitor how he arrived long ago in the then glorious country and began manufacturing anomalous objects called Thneeds from "the bright-colored tufts of the Truffula Trees." Despite protests from the Lorax, a native "who speaks for the trees," he continues to chop down Truffulas until he drives away the Brown Bar-ba-loots who had fed on the Tuffula fruit, the Swomee-Swans who can't sing a note for the smogulous smoke, and the Humming-Fish who had hummed in the pond now glumped up with Gluppity-Glupp. As for the Once-let, "1 went right on biggering, selling more Thneeds./ And I biggered my money, which everyone needs" — until the last Truffula falls. But one seed is left, and the Once-let hands it to his listener, with a message from the Lorax: "UNLESS someone like you/ cares a whole awful lot,/ nothing is going to get better./ It's not." The spontaneous madness of the old Dr. Seuss is absent here, but so is the boredom he often induced (in parents, anyway) with one ridiculous invention after another. And if the Once-let doesn't match the Grinch for sheer irresistible cussedness, he is stealing a lot more than Christmas and his story just might induce a generation of six-year-olds to care a whole lot.
Pub Date: Aug. 12, 1971
ISBN: 0394823370
Page Count: 72
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Oct. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1971
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