A great incentive to get down and dirty with ordinary garden soil and seeds, this fresh, sweet book will spark enthusiasm...
A Swedish import via Germany with an unmistakable Scandinavian ethic, this charming guide to gardening for young children is described in the introduction as “not a book for grown-ups.”
Stuffed with inventive gardening tips, plant-related crafts, and advice, the book is geared toward practical kids with inquisitive minds. Projects include making “Head Pots” (draw faces on the pots and plant seeds in them to make “hair”); planting sunflowers and harvesting the seeds to make bird food; planting beans and then making a tic-tac-toe game with them; and best of all, planting rabbit poops to find out what the rabbit ate! (But remember to wash your hands thoroughly afterward.) There are also recipes: garlic and cheese made from strained yogurt combined with garlic cloves that have sprouted in the fridge; potatoes, tomatoes, and edible flowers and fruit. Each activity or recipe is clearly described in a numbered sequence of kid-friendly, accurate drawings, followed by an attractive full-page photo showing the finished result. North American readers will need to know metric units of measure and accept that a few plants will be unfamiliar, such as the European stinging nettle.
A great incentive to get down and dirty with ordinary garden soil and seeds, this fresh, sweet book will spark enthusiasm for gardening in even the most urban kids . (Nonfiction. 6-10)Pub Date: April 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-3-89955-747-3
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little Gestalten
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2016
An uncomplicated opener, with some funny bits and a clear but not heavy agenda.
Hank Zipzer, poster boy for dyslexic middle graders everywhere, stars in a new prequel series highlighting second-grade trials and triumphs.
Hank’s hopes of playing Aqua Fly, a comic-book character, in the upcoming class play founder when, despite plenty of coaching and preparation, he freezes up during tryouts. He is not particularly comforted when his sympathetic teacher adds a nonspeaking role as a bookmark to the play just for him. Following the pattern laid down in his previous appearances as an older child, he gets plenty of help and support from understanding friends (including Ashley Wong, a new apartment-house neighbor). He even manages to turn lemons into lemonade with a quick bit of improv when Nick “the Tick” McKelty, the sneering classmate who took his preferred role, blanks on his lines during the performance. As the aforementioned bully not only chokes in the clutch and gets a demeaning nickname, but is fat, boastful and eats like a pig, the authors’ sensitivity is rather one-sided. Still, Hank has a winning way of bouncing back from adversity, and like the frequent black-and-white line-and-wash drawings, the typeface is designed with easy legibility in mind.
An uncomplicated opener, with some funny bits and a clear but not heavy agenda. (Fiction. 7-9)Pub Date: Feb. 14, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-448-48239-2
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: Dec. 10, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Trisha is ready to start at a new school, where no one will know she has dyslexia. At first, she is heartbroken to be in Miss Peterson’s special-ed class, aka, “the junkyard.” But Miss Peterson treats the children as anything but junk, showing them that everyone has a unique talent. Polacco’s trademark style is fully present here; her sensitively drawn alter ego shines with depth of feeling. When bullying occurs, Miss Peterson proves her students are worthwhile by planning a junkyard field trip, where they find valuable objects to be used in exciting ways. Trisha’s group repairs a plane, and the class buys an engine for it. Then a beloved class member dies, and the children must find a way to honor him. While the plot meanders somewhat, the characters are appealing, believable and provide a fine portrayal of a truly special class. Children will be drawn in by the story’s warmth and gentle humor and will leave with a spark of inspiration, an appreciation of individual differences and a firm anti-bullying message, all underscored by the author’s note that concludes the book. (Picture book. 7-10)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-399-25078-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
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