The one-page-per-letter format is not new, but here each letter is accompanied by a distinct and unusual piece of verse. Above and below each large, colored woodcut, a rhyme—not always exact—describes that page’s animal. The descriptions are both funny and surprising: “K is for kangaroo. If I’m not mistaken, she has a small pouch, just right to keep cake in.” The child reader is included in the narrative by hypothetical possibilities: “H is for hippo with mouth open wide. You could easily fit a tricycle inside. But then, it might be too yucky to ride.” Adult humor, too, is given a place: “Q is for quail, found in woods dark and tall. But not for too long, they’re building a mall.” The number of lines per rhyme varies a bit, as does the rhythm of each verse; a few are slightly awkward and seem to have the wrong number of syllables. However, their humor overshadows that issue. The illustrations are colored with low intensity, creating an organic feeling that matches the woodcut medium. Animals range from newts to sea urchins to “xog, an unusual pup. I don’t think you’ll see one. I just made him up.” Although an audience over four years will be too old for this genre, new readers of five or six may relish the chance to read these silly rhymes out loud to younger siblings. (Picture book. 2-4)
Pub Date: April 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-06-028823-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2002
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A simultaneously empowering and instructive bedtime tale.
Klassen opens the door to imagination within the strict parameters of a little world.
Right from the start, this book places young readers directly at the center of its universe. “This is your sun. It is coming up for you.” Next, little ones meet each element of the farm. Each is punctuated with a clear message that it’s the sole property of the reader, along with instructions on where to place it. “This is your tree. It can go under the sun.” The objects all have eyes that stare out, making the audience the clear focus of the narrative. (This is not to say that the eyes don’t move; the barn, for example, looks over at the tree.) Then, once all the objects are in place (sun, tree, barn, horse, hay, truck, stool, and fence), the sun starts to sink, and every eye grows lidded and sleepy. By the end, readers are reassured that since it’s bedtime, they “can sleep too and think about what [they] will do there tomorrow.” While the narrator may have all the power of placement, once more it’s young readers who are reminded that their choices are the ones that truly count—a refreshing message, and one that kids can’t hear often enough.
A simultaneously empowering and instructive bedtime tale. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781536230826
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2024
That most basic of functions, subject of countless earnest tomes, at last receives a treatment whose instructional value is equaled by its entertainment value. “If you ever get that funny feeling . . . ” reads a series of signs borne by a host of cheerful, cartoony mice as they fly, drive, march, and (in at least one instance) get shot from a cannon past a bevy of dubious-looking multicultural children: “don’t PANIC! Don’t FRET!” The simple text is direct, not without humor (“And please don’t ignore it!”), and wonderfully child-wise, providing the critical reassurance that “everything will still be right where it was.” The multitudinous mice in their kite-flying, instrument-playing, sky-diving, helicopter-driving variety constitute a visual feast that enlivens the simple text and will keep the inevitable re-readings from becoming snooze-inducing. The uncluttered layout allows the children to take center stage while the legions of mice, with their text-bearing signs, happily perform their supporting roles. Those kids move from doubt to magnificent relief to pride in a happily encouraging progression, making this offering number one in the potty department. (Picture book. 2-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2003
ISBN: 0-7868-1868-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2003
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