This could lead to some storytime or classroom counting fun.
At the end of a day spent outside, 10 siblings each take a turn counting themselves and come up one short.
What will they tell their mother? Readers may think she’ll be relieved, as the kids are outside because she tossed them out after they’d “blundered” too many things in the house. And in Jack’s cartoon illustrations, all views of her save one portray her as either angry or exasperated. After a full afternoon playing by and in the creek (no adult supervision, but it’s only waist-deep), their mom’s words echo: Keep track of each other and be home by sundown. But no matter if they count by ones, twos, or threes, in English or Spanish, every child who attempts the count comes up with only nine kids (readers are in on the joke, as in every illustration the counter is missing a number). Upon returning home, they tell their mother an outlandish story but quickly come clean at the sight of the table set for 10. She finds the missing child, though not the missing pies, which the kids have carefully portioned…twice! Jack’s characters have an array of hair colors and heights, though most tend toward light skin and very thin physiques; one wears glasses. Even though their names are typically associated with gender, the presentation of several kids is ambiguous. Oddly, their noses and ears are distractingly darker than their faces.
This could lead to some storytime or classroom counting fun. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 11, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0109-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Oct. 8, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2019
Charming characters, a clever plot and a quiet message tucked inside a humorous tale.
Fuzzy, bearlike creatures of different sizes relate to one another in an amusing story that explores the relative nature of size.
A small purple creature meets a similarly shaped but much larger orange critter. The purple creature maintains that the orange creature is “big”; the orange one counters by calling the purple one “small.” This continues, devolving into a very funny shouting match, pages full of each type of creature hollering across the gutter. This is followed by a show-stopping double-page spread depicting two huge, blue legs and the single word “Boom!” in huge display type. Tiny, pink critters then float down by parachute, further complicating the size comparisons. Eventually, these brightly colored animals learn to see things in a different way. In the end, they decide they are all hungry and trudge off to eat together. The story is told effectively with just a few words per page, though younger readers might need help understanding the size and perspective concepts. Cartoon-style illustrations in ink and watercolor use simple shapes with heavy black outlines set off by lots of white space, with an oversized format and large typeface adding to the spare but polished design. While the story itself seems simple, the concepts are pertinent to several important social issues such as bullying and racism, as well as understanding point of view.
Charming characters, a clever plot and a quiet message tucked inside a humorous tale. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4778-4772-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Two Lions
Review Posted Online: June 29, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A gorgeous picture book that invites young readers to make their own neighborhoods places where good days abound.
The tale of a kid who loves his neighborhood as much as Mr. Rogers loved his.
Wearing blue overalls and red tennis shoes, Daniel leaves his mom and baby sibling to venture to Grandma’s house. As passers-by wish him “a good day,” he asks what makes a good day for each of them. Mrs. Sanchez, the painter, says clear skies; kite-flying Emma says “a steady wind”; the bus driver mentions riders who say “please” and “thank you.” Daniel seems to know nearly everyone in the diverse neighborhood, and each has a response for him. On his way back, leading Grandma to his house, he sees that his neighbors are all having a good day. As this little brown-skinned boy progresses through his urban neighborhood, readers can appreciate the level of detail Archer includes in her colorful, meticulously composed, collage illustrations, from small cutout photographs on the front covers of the magazines on the newsstand to individually cut and torn paper that makes up the flowers and plants lining many yards. This visually stunning book also embraces nontraditional gender roles, illustrates diversity within families, and advocates for the importance of giving children a level of independence and also welcoming them into the family circle after their adventures.
A gorgeous picture book that invites young readers to make their own neighborhoods places where good days abound. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: May 14, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-399-54672-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2019
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
