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SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE AN OAK

Name: SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE AN OAK
Author: Danielle Daniel
ISBN: 9781773066981

From the Sometimes I Feel Like series , Vol. 3

by Danielle Daniel ; illustrated by Jackie Traverse ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 2, 2024

Tender and thought provoking.

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Musings on emotions, through a Native lens.

“Sometimes I feel like a maple,” a young child notes, “full and most generous. / I share my flowing sap / as winter turns toward spring.” Alongside acrylic and gouache images from Traverse (Ojibway), the narrative’s gentle formula continues: Children identify their moods and characteristics and compare themselves to different trees, including a redwood, a cedar, and an aspen. On the full-bleed spreads, youngsters who vary in skin tone play, read, and quietly gaze at the trees, expressing a wide range of emotions both positive and negative. “Sometimes I feel like a willow, / shivery, sensitive and sad.” But “sometimes I feel like a tamarack, / resilient, striking, robust.” Backmatter lists the name of each tree, alongside a portrait and an associated emotion; readers are asked to reflect on what they “see and feel in the trees around” them. In an author’s note, Daniel connects her Algonquin ancestry to her understanding of trees as “sentient beings with spirits who can feel things.” Both the people and the land come to life in Traverse’s vibrant illustrations, which convey the majesty and evocative nature of trees. This simple story will invite children to relate to trees as teachers and healers, ones whom we might greet “as we would a person—worthy of kindness, respect, protection and love.”

Tender and thought provoking. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: April 2, 2024

ISBN: 9781773066981

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Groundwood

Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

- BOOK REVIEW
REASONS TO LOOK AT THE NIGHT SKY
by Danielle Daniel

- BOOK REVIEW
I'M AFRAID, SAID THE LEAF
by Danielle Daniel ; illustrated by Matt James

- BOOK REVIEW
YOU HOLD ME UP
by Monique Gray Smith ; illustrated by Danielle Daniel

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THE MOST MAGNIFICENT THING

by Ashley Spires ; illustrated by Ashley Spires ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2014

Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle...

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Making things is difficult work. Readers will recognize the stages of this young heroine’s experience as she struggles to realize her vision.

First comes anticipation. The artist/engineer is spotted jauntily pulling a wagonload of junkyard treasures. Accompanied by her trusty canine companion, she begins drawing plans and building an assemblage. The narration has a breezy tone: “[S]he makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!” The colorful caricatures and creations contrast with the digital black outlines on a white background that depict an urban neighborhood. Intermittent blue-gray panels break up the white expanses on selected pages showing sequential actions. When the first piece doesn’t turn out as desired, the protagonist tries again, hoping to achieve magnificence. A model of persistence, she tries many adjustments; the vocabulary alone offers constructive behaviors: she “tinkers,” “wrenches,” “fiddles,” “examines,” “stares” and “tweaks.” Such hard work, however, combines with disappointing results, eventually leading to frustration, anger and injury. Explosive emotions are followed by defeat, portrayed with a small font and scaled-down figures. When the dog, whose expressions have humorously mirrored his owner’s through each phase, retrieves his leash, the resulting stroll serves them well. A fresh perspective brings renewed enthusiasm and—spoiler alert—a most magnificent scooter sidecar for a loyal assistant.

Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle characterization for maximum delight. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: April 1, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-55453-704-4

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Kids Can

Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2014

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
BYE BYE, BUTTERFLY
developed by Ashley Spires ; adapted by Naseem Hrab ; illustrated by Mike Shiell

- BOOK REVIEW
NO MOUSIE LEFT BEHIND
developed by Ashley Spires ; adapted by Naseem Hrab ; illustrated by Mike Shiell

- BOOK REVIEW
THE MOST MAGNIFICENT MAKER'S A TO Z
by Ashley Spires ; illustrated by Ashley Spires

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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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)