McLennon’s contagious enthusiasm makes an already satisfying sport more accessible for kids.
A natty, cartoon-influenced picture book that introduces young readers to the tools and spirit of tennis.
Tennis, like playing the piano, is one of those compounding joys that, with a little elbow grease in the guise of frequent play, will repay in spades for a lifetime; one doesn’t need to retire from the court until he or she is near decrepitude. Professional tennis coach McLennon takes the rhyming route in his book—“They play on carpet in Russia, and Spain—on clay. / People who play tennis love to play every day”—to generate enthusiasm for hitting the court. He recommends that newbies assemble the basic equipment, including not just the obvious racquet and balls, but the more complicated grips (Continental, semi-Western, Eastern-backhand and Eastern) and strings (synthetic, polyester, Kevlar, gut and nylon). The grips and strings alone are exotic enough to spark curiosity. With the help of a little encouragement from the anthropomorphized equipment characters, the author shows how the strings shield the racquet’s face and engage the ball, while the grips guard the racquet’s body (“So that he doesn’t appear to be gaudy”). Cutesy, but McLennon makes an important point here, one that’s an elemental part of any good game. The various parts, be they components of a racquet or the players on a doubles team, have to act in concert for there to be success and pleasure. Fortunately, tennis is gratifyingly inclusive, and players’ gender, nationality, race and age matter little in the end. McLennon covers the layout of the tennis court, as well as a modest host of tennis basics, such as scoring, why “deuce” can go on and on, the oddity of “love” in a tennis match and why the number 2 is so important to the game. Short’s saturated-color artwork adeptly conveys the cheerful characters—notably the anthropomorphized equipment’s wide, childlike eyes.
McLennon’s contagious enthusiasm makes an already satisfying sport more accessible for kids.Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0981211411
Page Count: 32
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Aug. 25, 2011
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A nice but not requisite purchase.
A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.
Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.
A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Playful, engaging, and full of opportunities for empathy—a raucous storytime hit.
Readers try to dislodge a monster from the pages of this emotive and interactive read-aloud.
“OH NO!” the story starts. “There’s a monster in your book!” The blue, round-headed monster with pink horns and a pink-tipped tail can be seen cheerfully munching on the opening page. “Let’s try to get him out,” declares the narrator. Readers are encouraged to shake, tilt, and spin the book around, while the monster careens around an empty background looking scared and lost. Viewers are exhorted to tickle the monster’s feet, blow on the page, and make a really loud noise. Finally, shockingly, it works: “Now he’s in your room!” But clearly a monster in your book is safer than a monster in your room, so he’s coaxed back into the illustrations and lulled to sleep, curled up under one page and cuddling a bit of another like a child with their blankie. The monster’s entirely cute appearance and clear emotional reactions to his treatment add to the interactive aspect, and some young readers might even resist the instructions to avoid hurting their new pal. Children will be brought along on the monster’s journey, going from excited, noisy, and wiggly to calm and steady (one can hope).
Playful, engaging, and full of opportunities for empathy—a raucous storytime hit. (Picture book. 2-7)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5247-6456-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: June 4, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
