Lost and found and lost and returned—this teddy brings a lot of happiness and leaves sadness in its wake, but McPhail’s (Mud Is Cake, p. 425, etc.) tale turns on the perceptiveness and sensitivity of a young boy. That young lad had a teddy bear, his favorite toy of all, and he and the teddy lived in a warm and protective home (gorgeously drawn in hearty and touching watercolor and ink). The teddy is lost in a moment of forgetfulness and is found by a homeless man who tucks the bear away in his pocket. Gradually, the boy adjusts to not having his bear and gradually, the bear adjusts to his new circumstances. The man takes the bear everywhere, just like the boy once did. On a spring day, the man put the bear on a park bench while he did some scavenging nearby, and the boy and his parents happen past. The boy is exultant (his parents are nonplused), and he sweeps the bear up and walks away with him. Then he hears a mournful howl. It is the homeless man, a man who has lost his best friend. The boy returns to the man, aware of what has happened: “ ‘Is this your bear?’ the little boy asked. . . . ‘Thank you,’ he said to the little boy. ‘I don’t know what I’d do without him.’ ‘I know what you mean,’ said the little boy.’ ” Although this is a story about kindness, love, and compassion, it is also a worthy reminder that the down-and-out have feelings and needs just as keen as the reader’s. (Picture book. 3-7)
Pub Date: May 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-8050-6414-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2002
Disney art paired with an affirming message makes for a pleasant diversion.
Popular Disney characters guide children toward independence and empowerment.
Childhood involves taking small steps into enchanted lands of self-discovery. These forays lead to challenges but wonders, too. Who better to help kids along this path than celebrated Disney and Pixar icons, idolized courtesy of cinema and TV screens? Children sharing this book with grown-ups will likely be more thrilled at simply spotting and identifying cartoon favorites on these pages than listening to, let alone contemplating, the lengthy, somewhat overblown text, which may go over their heads. After all, very young children won’t yet know what lies ahead—or have figured out what they’ve achieved or will accomplish—when they’re on the brink of exciting life journeys. Recognizing and naming favorites—characters from Frozen, Up, Coco, and Moana—will boost many children’s self-esteem, one of this book’s credos. Some classic characters might be less familiar to today’s younger set, but they’re still powerfully appealing. Many words, set in larger type throughout, are eye-catching. The inimitable Disney illustrative and design style remains captivating and transcends generations. Though many characters from earlier Disney works are White (Alice, Peter, Pinocchio), those from more recent films reflect racial and ethnic diversity, among them Moana, who is Polynesian, and Coco’s Miguel, who is Mexican. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Disney art paired with an affirming message makes for a pleasant diversion. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 9781368077750
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Disney Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2023
A moving, grooving snapshot of urban life where kids create the fun and beckon everybody in.
A high-energy ode to double Dutch and summer days of fun.
It’s a sizzling morning, and when one freckle-faced, curly-haired, tan-skinned kid yells, “Jump in!” kids of every hue and size come running with balls, with jump-ropes, and with arms and legs ready for moving. When the “Double Dutch divas,” the Delancy twins, arrive to jump-rope, their long cornrows go flying as they “Jump over, jump under” and “spin ’round.” Next, long-legged basketballer Leroy Jones, with a frohawk and fiery moves, twirls a ball on one finger then jumps in with hip-hop acrobatics…until hip-swinging Ms. Mabel tosses Leroy her purse and exhausts the jump-rope turners with her “funky wiggle” and her cartwheel in the ropes. Lots of neighbors, including the reverend, join in, and the jumping joy permeates the day as Strickland’s free-verse poetry turns this tale into a singable jump-rope rhyme. When a skateboard-loving youngster finally joins in after homework’s all done, the child takes their dog and board into the ropes. Strickland’s innovative low-angle and bird’s-eye views and gatefolds that open in various directions give readers expansive vantage points for this day of participatory play, while her colorful and highly textured digitally rendered illustrations, inspired by the Italian futurists, effectively capture the heat, verve, and energy of the city. This city community is a diverse one; most of the named characters present as Black.
A moving, grooving snapshot of urban life where kids create the fun and beckon everybody in. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-61963-580-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
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