Ciaccio’s gorgeously colored illustrations match Aardema’s whimsical fancy.
A narrator describes the silliness and absurdity of his imagined world in this picture-book debut from Aardema (the grandson of notable author Verna Aardema), with illustrations by Ciaccio.
Only in the world of imagination can there be mooing puppies, blue cows, egg-laying rhinos, and fish and snakes with legs, but Aardema introduces all of these absurdities in the first two pages. Kids are sure to giggle their way through the rhymes and phenomenal images, which show silly animals making strange sounds and wearing odd hues, as well as other natural-world features that play against the norm. Even the narrator admits, “It makes no sense whatsoever!” Although a diversion into incorrect math (“2 plus 2 is sometimes five”) may discourage parents trying to instill good addition practices, children will likely to be able to correct the “mistakes” themselves. On the final pages, flying children view the amazing world below them. While there’s no plot here, Aardema’s rhymes scan well, and children will delight in the mismatched noises, colors, and patterns. Ciaccio’s animals display startling personality while keeping close to their proper shapes. The bold chromatic choices are eye-catching, and the details will keep readers engaged.
Ciaccio’s gorgeously colored illustrations match Aardema’s whimsical fancy.Pub Date: July 18, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4808-4781-1
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Archway Publishing
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2018
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The seemingly ageless Seeger brings back his renowned giant for another go in a tuneful tale that, like the art, is a bit sketchy, but chockful of worthy messages. Faced with yearly floods and droughts since they’ve cut down all their trees, the townsfolk decide to build a dam—but the project is stymied by a boulder that is too huge to move. Call on Abiyoyo, suggests the granddaughter of the man with the magic wand, then just “Zoop Zoop” him away again. But the rock that Abiyoyo obligingly flings aside smashes the wand. How to avoid Abiyoyo’s destruction now? Sing the monster to sleep, then make it a peaceful, tree-planting member of the community, of course. Seeger sums it up in a postscript: “every community must learn to manage its giants.” Hays, who illustrated the original (1986), creates colorful, if unfinished-looking, scenes featuring a notably multicultural human cast and a towering Cubist fantasy of a giant. The song, based on a Xhosa lullaby, still has that hard-to-resist sing-along potential, and the themes of waging peace, collective action, and the benefits of sound ecological practices are presented in ways that children will both appreciate and enjoy. (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-83271-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2001
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