“Forgive your enemies. It messes up their heads.”
Young Conrad is determined to master the art of becoming a cowboy. After all, what more do you need than a Mega Ultimate Extreme First Aid Kit and a horse? Horse he has not, but he does have next-door neighbor Imogene, a ginger-haired coquette who takes a particular delight in pointing out each and every one of Conrad’s flaws with appropriate aphorisms. A lassoed pig takes him for a ride? “When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.” Despite her assurances that he’ll never measure up, Conrad remains optimistic. And even when Imogene purchases the very horse he yearns for, he is willing to lend her a hand when she takes a well-deserved tumble. Fretz apparently intends to give voice to the notion of everyday forgiveness, but rather than drown readers in didacticism, she’s written a rootin’, tootin’ ranch tale, complete with an amusing “Vocabulary Poetical” selection of poems at the back of the book. Barretta picks up on Fretz’s high-spirited text, though some of his choices may give readers pause. For example, the villain’s snide dialogue pairs oddly with the doe-eyed little moppet Barretta has chosen to illustrate.
Nonetheless, fans of the wrangling way of life will find themselves much attached to Conrad and his true blue cowboy heart. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-310-72349-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Review Posted Online: July 29, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2014
Categories: CHILDREN'S RELIGIOUS FICTION
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The Berenstains’ son adds a Mother’s Day entry to the series, continuing the adventures of the Bear family with a religious focus.
Brother, Sister, and Honey want to do something special for Mama for Mother’s Day, and Papa helps them think of just the thing—brunch at the Bear Country Inn after church—and they can invite Grizzly Gran, too. On the ride to church, Mama points out all the ways other families are celebrating their own mothers even though these community helpers are working on the holiday: Officer Marguerite’s children bring her flowers as she directs traffic, and Mrs. Ben’s children are pitching in with farm chores. Indeed, the trip to church is eye-opening for the cubs, who never realized that some of their neighbors even had children. During the church service, Preacher Brown thanks God for the gift of mothers and quotes the Bible: “Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard planted by the water; it was fruitful and full of branches.” While the illustrations are the same as ever (the smiling bears haven’t aged a bit!), the series seems to have moved away from addressing a variety of families.
This Mother’s Day tale is rather limited in its audience to those who can afford fancy brunch after their own religious services, contrary to its apparent message that being together is all that matters. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-310-74869-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2016
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Spinelli lists many things for which people are thankful.
The pictures tell a pleasing counterpoint to this deceptively simple rhyme. It begins “The waitress is thankful for comfortable shoes. / The local reporter, for interesting news.” The pictures show a little girl playing waitress to her brother, who playacts the reporter. The news gets interesting when the girl trips over the (omnipresent) cat. As the poem continues, the Caucasian children and their parents embody all the different roles and occupations it mentions. The poet is thankful for rhyme and the artist, for light and color, although the girl dancer is not particularly pleased with her brother’s painterly rendition of her visual art. The cozy hotel for the traveler is a tent for the siblings in the backyard, and the grateful chef is their father in the kitchen. Even the pastor (the only character mentioned who is not a family member) is grateful, as he is presented with a posy from the girl, for “God’s loving word.” The line is squiggly and energetic, with pastel color and figures that float over white space or have whole rooms or gardens to roam in. Both children, grateful for morning stories, appear in a double-page spread surrounded by books and stuffed toys as their mother reads to them—an image that begs to be a poster.
Low-key and gentle; a book to be thankful for. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-310-00088-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2015
Categories: CHILDREN'S RELIGIOUS FICTION
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