Daniel has enabled a full deep breath on every page of this gentle, relaxing book, which engages without overloading and...
Four-line poems lend a magical quality to a series of simple experiences witnessed once in a blue moon.
Daniel’s childlike illustrations, done in pencil and colored with flat fields of acrylic gouache in rich colors, accompany each poem, serving to frame moments in nature as special events. The format allows readers to go slowly and serves as an excellent way for children to become aware of nonrhyming poetic forms. It also conveys the sense of wonder that comes when taking a quiet moment to appreciate that which is not immediately “entertaining” in the modern sense. The repetition of the titular phrase, “Once in a blue moon,” and brevity of each poem make for a soothing bedtime read-aloud, but the book will also work well as a calm break in a busy day, and it is ripe with inspirations for further activities such as painting a similar scene and writing nonrhyming verses to reflect serene moments. Each “I” in the book can apply to children from many walks of life, as those depicted have different skin colors and hair textures and are in different environments in nature. Many may be close to readers’ own accessible experiences, while those that are different can inspire imagination about how other kids see the world.
Daniel has enabled a full deep breath on every page of this gentle, relaxing book, which engages without overloading and lends a specialness to things too easy to miss in the natural world. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-55498-975-1
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Groundwood
Review Posted Online: Aug. 20, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Sweet fare for bed- or naptimes, with a light frosting of natural history.
A sonorous, soporific invitation to join woodland creatures in bedding down for the night.
As in her Moon Babies, illustrated by Amy Hevron (2019), Jameson displays a rare gift for harmonious language and rhyme. She leads off with a bear: “Come home, Big Paws. / Berry picker / Honey trickster / Shadows deepen in the glen. / Lumber back inside your den.” Continuing in the same pattern, she urges a moose (“Velvet Nose”), a deer (“Tiny Hooves”), and a succession of ever smaller creatures to find their nooks and nests as twilight deepens in Boutavant’s woodsy, autumnal scenes and snow begins to drift down. Through each of those scenes quietly walks an alert White child (accompanied by an unusually self-controlled pooch), peering through branches or over rocks at the animals in the foregrounds and sketching them in a notebook. The observer’s turn comes round at last, as a bearded parent beckons: “This way, Small Boots. / Brave trailblazer / Bright stargazer / Cabin’s toasty. Blanket’s soft. / Snuggle deep in sleeping loft.” The animals go unnamed, leaving it to younger listeners to identify each one from the pictures…if they can do so before the verses’ murmurous tempo closes their eyes.
Sweet fare for bed- or naptimes, with a light frosting of natural history. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Oct. 27, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4521-7063-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
A poignant tale of loss overshadowed by missteps.
After his father’s sudden death, Malcolm must learn to deal with his grief.
Malcolm loves caring for plants with Dad, especially Big Mon, Dad’s monstera. Though Malcolm sometimes becomes impatient waiting for the plants to grow, Dad often says, “Good things taken time.” After Dad dies, Malcolm inherits his plants. However, his overzealous watering causes Big Mon’s bright green leaves to droop and yellow, mirroring the boy’s feelings. Frustrated, he stops caring for the plants altogether and resigns himself to buying a new monstera. As he spends more time with his friends, he notices the plants beginning to grow once more. His willingness to give his plants—and himself—some time allows them all to feel better. Though this story deals with an important topic—the death of a parent—many readers will be distracted with questions, as the book never explains why Malcolm’s father died. The warm-toned illustrations convey the loving relationship between Malcolm and his father as well as the boy’s pain, but on one page, Dad notes how rare variegation is on a monstera leaf, but the image depicts several plants with variegation. The backmatter includes a helpful glossary of plant terms, though the entry for the snake plant offers the alternative name mother-in-law’s tongue with the unfortunate misogynistic parenthetical note, “Don’t worry, you’ll understand why, one day.” (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A poignant tale of loss overshadowed by missteps. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9780593403648
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2023
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