A collection of whimsical children’s poetry that expertly sneaks in moments of profound reflection.
Eclectic poems by Lipschultz, Berger, and Stevenson that explore what it means to be a child.
Written by a trio of authors, these children’s poems range in subject matter from family and dreams to changing seasons and fanciful sea creatures. Some are delightfully silly (“Burnt up paper / to dance and caper: / That’s a fun party / till I bring / the paper scraper”), while others have a more melancholic feel (“‘If you want to live forever and more,’ / said the diamond to the fern, / ‘don’t follow in my footsteps. / Steer clear of coal and time’”). Each poem, signed by its respective author, is accompanied by Stevenson’s fanciful illustrations, most of which are simple black-and white drawings that reflect the poems’ subject matter, punctuated by bright boxy shapes in various hues that dot the page. The authors have created a delightfully fun introduction to poetry for children. While some pieces may read as a bit repetitive, the majority contain emotional nuggets that change meaning depending on one’s life stage (“There really aren’t monsters / anywhere in the house / but sometimes at night / there are”). These small moments of contemplation elevate the book, making for a compilation that’s both joyful and thoughtful. The book includes a sticker sheet and space for readers to write their own poems.
A collection of whimsical children’s poetry that expertly sneaks in moments of profound reflection.Pub Date: Nov. 18, 2025
ISBN: 9798991223430
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Artvoices Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 8, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions.
Ellis, known for her illustrations for Colin Meloy’s Wildwood series, here riffs on the concept of “home.”
Shifting among homes mundane and speculative, contemporary and not, Ellis begins and ends with views of her own home and a peek into her studio. She highlights palaces and mansions, but she also takes readers to animal homes and a certain famously folkloric shoe (whose iconic Old Woman manages a passel of multiethnic kids absorbed in daring games). One spread showcases “some folks” who “live on the road”; a band unloads its tour bus in front of a theater marquee. Ellis’ compelling ink and gouache paintings, in a palette of blue-grays, sepia and brick red, depict scenes ranging from mythical, underwater Atlantis to a distant moonscape. Another spread, depicting a garden and large building under connected, transparent domes, invites readers to wonder: “Who in the world lives here? / And why?” (Earth is seen as a distant blue marble.) Some of Ellis’ chosen depictions, oddly juxtaposed and stripped of any historical or cultural context due to the stylized design and spare text, become stereotypical. “Some homes are boats. / Some homes are wigwams.” A sailing ship’s crew seems poised to land near a trio of men clad in breechcloths—otherwise unidentified and unremarked upon.
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6529-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2014
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
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