Arresting artwork combined with a playful challenge of seek-and-find offers readers a fresh alternative to more traditional Mother Goose collections. This one, featuring over 40 rhymes, is an intriguing blend of familiar and arcane verses. The tried-and-true favorites are all here: “Pat-a-Cake,” “Three Blind Mice,” “Jack Be Nimble,” and others. However, the selection of less well-known rhymes will be a delightful discovery for readers, young and old. Rhymes such as “Peddler’s Song,” “Diddly, Diddly, Dumpty,” “Cuckoo, Cuckoo, Cherry Tree,” not often included in collections, are reintroduced to a new generation of children. The front pages contain the beginning of the classic rhyme “Cackle, cackle, Mother Goose, / Have you any feathers loose?,” giving readers the task of seeking out all the loose feathers incorporated into the illustrations. Close scrutiny of each page rewards with the discovery of a lone feather in the landscape. Beaton’s (Zoe and Her Zebra, 1999, etc.) splendid collages revel in the whimsy of Mother Goose . The artwork is executed with Beaton’s signature flair; color-filled collages feature intricately sewn pieces of felt and other materials, assembled to create vivid images so three-dimensional that readers will be tempted to run their fingers over the pages to feel the textures. With cheerful characters capering across the pages and encouraging readers to abandon themselves to the wit and wisdom of Mother Goose, this ebullient collection of rhymes deserves a special spot on the shelf. A foreword includes a rather esoteric introduction from the publisher regaling interested adults with an abbreviated history of Mother Goose, from her roots in an ancient Hindu goddess to her first published appearance in 1697. (contents list, index) (Picture book. 2-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2000
ISBN: 1-84148-073-8
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Barefoot Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2000
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A satisfying friendship story to share with very young children in the days leading up to Halloween.
This board book twists the traditional “Teeny Tiny” tale into a less-scary Halloween treat.
This version uses a singsong-y rhythm and cadence to tell the story. “In the teeny tiny barn / Of a teeny tiny house... / Lived a teeny tiny ghost / and a teeny tiny mouse.” Of course the ghost (being teeny tiny) is not very frightening. “But the determined little ghost / Let her mighty courage through / And with a teeny tiny breath / She said a teeny tiny: boo.” Spoiler alert: After just seven page turns the ghost and mouse become friends: “And now the teeny tinies play / In the teeny tiny house. / Just a teeny tiny ghost / And her best friend, mouse.” Pumpkins decorate the cover and final spread and illustrations throughout are in autumnal hues. The fairly high-for-the-format word count—19 to 21 words per page—may be more than toddlers will sit still for, but the “teeny tiny” repetition and rhymes will help. The size (just 6 inches square) makes using the book with a group a challenge, but with a lap-sitting child, it’ll be a pleasure.
A satisfying friendship story to share with very young children in the days leading up to Halloween. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 30, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-31848-7
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: April 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
A tender tale with a reminder to look up and all around us.
A whimsical yet poignant tweet by actor D’Onofrio that went viral in 2019 is the basis for this picture book.
Fact: Pigs can’t look up at the sky. Their neck muscles and spines are built such that their head movements are limited, though they can look up to an extent—e.g., if their heads are tilted. This reality lies at the heart of this minimally worded book in which a brown-skinned girl rigs up a contraption to lift her beloved pet pig, enabling it to see the stars. Girl and pig even become constellations. The girl declares she wants to be treated “that kindly and see the stars for the first time.” We get a sense she means more than literally viewing stars. This is confirmed by the author’s note, in which D’Onofrio talks about “small acts of kindness” and acknowledges people who helped him “broaden my narrow view of what I might be capable of.” He asks: “How do we look beyond ourselves? This girl and this pig only had to look up.” What he and this gentle, thought-provoking book suggest is that we become “stars” if we look around us and notice others who might need us. Adults sharing this book should solicit such ideas from children—as well as additional ways to get pigs to look up. Cunningham’s delicate illustrations are moving and lovely. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A tender tale with a reminder to look up and all around us. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: May 16, 2023
ISBN: 9781951836757
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Cameron Kids
Review Posted Online: Feb. 7, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2023
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