A delightful bathtime (or anytime) book perfect for reading aloud.
This children’s picture book celebrates a messy—and dearly loved—family pet.
Mori, an all-white dog with a pink tongue and black nose, has wonderfully soft, fluffy fur; as he states, “Everyone says I am perfect especially after bath time.” But Mori doesn’t want to be perfect; instead, he imagines the enchanting imperfection of being “muddy” (like a brown bear), “slimy” (like a green frog), “grubby” (like a pink pig), “scruffy” (like a yellow lion), “stinky” (like a red raccoon), and so on. But there’s nothing to worry about, his family says, as he’s already all these things, “but we still love you!” Now reassured that it’s OK to be himself, Mori rejoices and enjoys his bath. In her debut children’s book, Lam avoids tiresome moralizing about the virtues of cleanliness, recognizing that many children, like Mori, relish making a mess, which can be fun and creative. Of course, messy, stinky dogs, as well as kids, still need baths, but it’s easier without pressure to be perfect. The book has excellent read-aloud potential, making effective use of repetition and parallel phrases. Lam’s simple but charming and expressive colored-pencil and watercolor illustrations convey Mori’s personality while also helping to teach color names.
A delightful bathtime (or anytime) book perfect for reading aloud.Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-7750506-0-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: CYL Studios
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 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
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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