Children less patient (or good-natured) than Johnny aren’t likely to take a cue from his example, but the episode certainly...
Family and community values underpin this tale of a young Ojibwe child forced to wait while local elders get first crack at a communal feast.
“I like to EAT, EAT, EAT,” is Johnny’s constant refrain as his grandma repeatedly restrains him from chowing down on wild rice, fry bread and luscious sweet rolls before and during a banquet at the community center: “Bekaa,” wait, she admonishes, “we let the elders eat first.” So well does Johnny finally absorb this lesson that, when his turn does at last come, he hesitates not at all to call an elderly latecomer over to take his seat at the table before grabbing a single bite. Happily, instead of eating, she plunks him in her lap, and after that, it’s goodbye, sweet roll. Ballinger’s illustrations are clearly influenced by an animation aesthetic, and young readers may find the huge, staring eyes and oddly contorted mouths of the figures a distraction, but it’s great to see a trim, modern grandma in jeans and a baseball cap, her hair initially tied back with a scrunchie. In both text and illustrations, the attitude-modeling is delivered in a gentle, nonlecturing way. Both author and illustrator are members of the Milles Lacs Band of Ojibwe.
Children less patient (or good-natured) than Johnny aren’t likely to take a cue from his example, but the episode certainly opens the way to further discussion and socialization. (Ojibwe glossary) (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: May 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-87351-926-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Minnesota Historical Society Press
Review Posted Online: April 15, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
Nice to see you again, David! (Picture book. 4-6)
As if he couldn’t get into trouble enough on his own, David has a big brother to “help.”
Returning to his hapless alter (?) ego after eight years (It’s Christmas, David!, 2010), Shannon brings his older sibling—or at least, to judge from the pictures, said sibling’s lower portions—into play for a series of moments captioned by phrases that will be ultrafamiliar to all but only children: “No, David!” “You’re too little.” “Stop following me!” “That’s mine!” Drawn as before in a loose style with visible corrections and mottled, garishly colored backgrounds, the illustrations capture both the emotional intensity of David’s roller-coaster world and, in hilarious close-up tableaux, a series of brotherly tussles, pranks, domestic disasters, and goofy bids for attention. Many of Caldecott honoree No, David!’s iconic illustrations are mirrored here, including some mild (if catastrophic for the plumbing) potty humor, a close-up of David’s wide-open, bawling mouth, and both brothers in timeout. Just to show that big bro’s not entirely a brat, after David wangles his way into a big kids’ football game and gets clobbered, he gets a noogie and a “Nice catch!” that give the end a note of rough affection. Both brothers present white.
Nice to see you again, David! (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 28, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-338-25097-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Blue Sky/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 15, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A read worth waiting for.
Two children find themselves on a time-traveling adventure while they wait for Grandpa’s cookies to come out of the oven.
When Kat and Ari build a time machine, they set it for “the future, to just after the cookies [are] finished baking.” But they end up bouncing through time—to that evening, when the cookies have already been eaten, then back to their very first time baking with Grandpa as young tots. Then they find themselves in the very distant future. Through this journey, Kat and Ari realize that waiting’s much easier when you lean into enjoying the passage of time together. Soft pastel colors convey this message deftly. Speeding through time, the children fly past an ombre rainbow. A wash of blue instantly indicates a nighttime scene lit by the light of Grandpa’s front porch. The far-off future includes plenty for readers to take in: a house with legs, a dragon-inspired airplane, and special tubes through which townspeople float through in place of streets. Effective use of panels moves the narrative along and gives it a graphic novel–esque feel. This playful story examines a child’s natural impatience while showcasing how very rewarding and special waiting can be. Grandpa has light brown skin, while Kat has tan skin; Ari presents Black.
A read worth waiting for. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9781665936743
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2024
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