Expanding a familiar preschool finger rhyme, Jarrett delivers an appealing (and singable) confection capped with a double spread of facts about the life cycle of the butterfly. By leading with two new verses, before inserting the well-known one, the author signals to children and caregivers that something fresh and new is in store. Carrot-haired Arabella, after the inevitable admonishment from mother, builds a shoe-box home for the caterpillar, feeds it (“Curly cabbage, crisp and crunchy, / frizzy parsley, fresh and munchy”) and observes its changes, from multiple skin-sheddings, to chrysalis-building and metamorphosis. Jarrett’s airy pencil-and-paper collages utilize variable perspective, a chiefly pastel palette and ample white ground to carry the simple text. Cleverly, saturated primary hues link the butterfly’s markings with Arabella’s bright hat and shirt. Pleasing and useful, for storytimes as well as one-on-one sharing. (Picture book. 3-7)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-7636-3660-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2008
A delightful tale for dog lovers with less-than-perfect pooches.
Move over, Clifford the Big Red Dog and Good Dog, Carl: Nanny Paws knows exactly what to do for the kids in her care!
Ally and Mae, elementary-age twins, need never worry about who will wash their faces, clear the table, or walk them to school. Nanny Paws has it all under control. But while the narrator tells the story from the perspective of this energetic pink poodle, the illustrations deliver quite another story. When Nanny Paws does “a little gardening,” the illustration shows her digging a hole in the backyard to bury the twins’ stuffed animal she has just destroyed. Nanny Paws says she keeps busy after taking the twins to school, but readers see her sprawled on her back, paws skyward (muddied from “gardening”), sound asleep on top of an enormous pile of laundry. In every instance, this pampered pooch has a hilariously overinflated sense of her helpfulness, and though the adults in the house, who never make an appearance, might mind her disasters, the twins clearly adore her and sleep every night with Nanny Paws between them. Wahman’s watercolor, pencil, and digitally created images effectively capture Nanny Paws’ perpetual motion and the twins’ adoration of her despite the chaos she leaves in her wake. Ally and Mae have brown skin and wear their black hair in two puffballs.
A delightful tale for dog lovers with less-than-perfect pooches. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 22, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5039-5436-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Two Lions
Review Posted Online: Feb. 18, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
Tegen explores the origins of the Easter Bunny in this sweet, simply told story set in an old-fashioned village with winding streets and stone houses. In this particular village, an elderly couple work all winter preparing baskets of eggs and candies for all the children of the village to enjoy each Easter morning. The “round old man” and the “round old woman” have a white pet rabbit who at first just watches their preparations. As he grows, he helps the couple with their tasks, taking over more of the work and eventually moving the operation to the woods to hide the process from curious children. The short story is gracefully told with just a few sentences on each page, and the large type size and soft watercolor illustrations contribute to the appealing design. The illustrations are full of details that young readers will enjoy spotting, including glimpses of the village children waiting in the windows for the Easter bunny to deliver his baskets. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-06-050711-X
Page Count: 40
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2005
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© 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.
