by Constance Gibbons ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 30, 2015
A truly supportive message for families and young children living with veterans, full of cheerful pictures, comforting...
Retired educator Gibbons intertwines definitions and familiar examples to help children understand veteran life.
The debut author, who comes from a military family, expands on the concept of a veteran for young readers: “Veterans are also called warriors or heroes. Your neighbor could be a warrior….Any grownup you see could be a veteran.” She goes on to present the various stages of military life, fully addresses the challenges of separation and travel, and offers homespun advice that may help mature concepts go down easy. Her words have the authenticity of experience and the strength of commitment when she writes, “Honor means working hard and doing things the right way….It makes you feel really, really good inside to do things right!” The author acknowledges readers who may see war differently by saying that “Not all people feel grateful for those who go away to war.” Peace protestors also get a nod, but the author notes that “Veterans want peace too. They fight for our freedom, even for the freedom of those people who say they do not like war.” Her unwavering support and sensitivity to veterans of all eras will bring comfort to its intended audience and Ottenbreit’s colorful, cartoonish illustrations are a good match for the text, showing a variety of handicaps and adaptive gear used by injured veterans. A first-person, child-centric voice makes the message personal but accessible without being preachy. However, there are no rose-colored glasses here; the book offers descriptions of scars, post-traumatic stress disorder, and child-appropriate ways to engage veterans. It also delivers a critical message for children when veteran loved ones act “scared or jumpy”: “none of it is because of you.”
A truly supportive message for families and young children living with veterans, full of cheerful pictures, comforting messages, and patriotism.Pub Date: June 30, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-9963198-0-5
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Village Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 2, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Janice Boland & illustrated by G. Brian Karas ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1996
A book that will make young dog-owners smile in recognition and confirm dogless readers' worst suspicions about the mayhem caused by pets, even winsome ones. Sam, who bears passing resemblance to an affable golden retriever, is praised for fetching the family newspaper, and goes on to fetch every other newspaper on the block. In the next story, only the children love Sam's swimming; he is yelled at by lifeguards and fishermen alike when he splashes through every watering hole he can find. Finally, there is woe to the entire family when Sam is bored and lonely for one long night. Boland has an essential message, captured in both both story and illustrations of this Easy-to-Read: Kids and dogs belong together, especially when it's a fun-loving canine like Sam. An appealing tale. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-8037-1530-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1996
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by Chloe Perkins ; illustrated by Sandra Equihua ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 13, 2016
A nice but not requisite purchase.
A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.
Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.
A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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