Captivating and heartfelt.
The poignant story of a tree’s life cycle.
As a sapling, Linden is planted in an apartment complex’s courtyard. Over time, he grows taller. Sometimes, he wishes he were something else—a tall lighthouse or a barn. But others appreciate Linden for what he is. His beautiful blooms attract bees, and the flowers’ fragrance wafts into windows. Linden serves other purposes: A resident hangs a clothesline from a branch; a child writes poetry ensconced on a limb. Linden helps the neighbors throughout the year. In summer, they gather under his branches to relax and socialize in the shade; some sway to the music of a resident’s fiddle. In fall, kids play among Linden’s leaves. Come winter, neighbors decorate Linden with bright lights. One spring, however, Linden falls ill. His flowers don’t bloom, and his friends can’t cheer him. When Linden’s last leaf drops, men with machines remove him. But one day, the residents discover Linden left a marvelous gift behind to prove that he “had loved them too”—a new sapling grows where he once stood. This heartfelt, beautifully told tale will fill readers with both joy and sadness. Children will feel reassured by the growth of the new tree in Linden’s place, heartened by the certainty of nature’s renewal. The glowing watercolor-and-gouache illustrations are lovely, capturing the warm closeness between Linden and his friends. The neighbors are racially diverse.
Captivating and heartfelt. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 26, 2024
ISBN: 9781958325100
Page Count: 38
Publisher: Marble Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 16, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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