An approachable vocabulary, strong theme, and adorable, almost huggable illustrations make this soothing animal tale a...
A restless bear cub determines that he can return to his own bed in this debut picture book.
When Sleepy Bear wakes in the middle of the night, he notices that all his toys are still snoozing. Curious to see if his parents are asleep, he pads down the hallway. In a humorous, wordless two-page spread that should delight young readers, the cub sees one of his parents facedown on the bed, arm drooped over the side, quilt tucked up over the shoulders. Glimpsing his other slumbering parent, Sleepy Bear wishes he could join the peaceful pair. But with two huge, furry animals taking up all the space in their own bed, there’s nowhere for him to fit. Back in his room, the sad-looking cub scans his surroundings: All the toys and the sun continue to rest. He reluctantly climbs back into bed but discovers, “Oh, it’s warm and cozy.” A winking toy train watches the cub fall asleep. During daytime, Sleepy Bear has plenty of energy and feels proud he slept through the night on his own. With such comforting, snuggly images by debut illustrator Wohlrab in a nighttime palette, the engaging book evokes a sleepy atmosphere sure to inspire toddlers to cuddle into their blankets. And the tone of this captivating story with a potent theme by the mother-daughter team Yacobi and Safrani should assure parents that sleepless nights shall pass.
An approachable vocabulary, strong theme, and adorable, almost huggable illustrations make this soothing animal tale a bedtime winner.Pub Date: Nov. 14, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-64151-246-6
Page Count: 24
Publisher: LitFire Publishing
Review Posted Online: Jan. 30, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
© 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
