by Dom Mansell & illustrated by Dom Mansell ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1991
Mansell imagines dinosaurs in various contemporary environments: Diplodocus causing an urban traffic jam; Deinonychus in competition with the rats at a dump; Stegosaurus browsing in a pasture; Elasmosaurus menacing a rowboat; Bagceratops nesting on a child's bed. A wealth of intriguing details in the cartoon-style illustrations dramatize size and behavior while making delightfully logical extensions from the premise. Not a new idea, but carried out with unusual verve, humor, and respect for the substantial amount of information conveyed. (Picture book. 4-10)
Pub Date: April 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-316-54584-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 1991
Categories: CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S
Share your opinion of this book
Did you like this book?
More by Anna Nilsen
BOOK REVIEW
by Anna Nilsen & illustrated by Dom Mansell
BOOK REVIEW
by Dom Mansell & illustrated by Dom Mansell
by Kobi Yamada ; illustrated by Natalie Russell ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2017
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. 14, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
Categories: CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S
Share your opinion of this book
Did you like this book?
More by Kobi Yamada
BOOK REVIEW
by Kobi Yamada ; illustrated by Adelina Lirius
BOOK REVIEW
by Kobi Yamada ; illustrated by Charles Santoso
BOOK REVIEW
by Kobi Yamada ; illustrated by Elise Hurst
by Pete Seeger & Paul Dubois Jacobs & illustrated by Michael Hays ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2001
The seemingly ageless Seeger brings back his renowned giant for another go in a tuneful tale that, like the art, is a bit sketchy, but chockful of worthy messages. Faced with yearly floods and droughts since they’ve cut down all their trees, the townsfolk decide to build a dam—but the project is stymied by a boulder that is too huge to move. Call on Abiyoyo, suggests the granddaughter of the man with the magic wand, then just “Zoop Zoop” him away again. But the rock that Abiyoyo obligingly flings aside smashes the wand. How to avoid Abiyoyo’s destruction now? Sing the monster to sleep, then make it a peaceful, tree-planting member of the community, of course. Seeger sums it up in a postscript: “every community must learn to manage its giants.” Hays, who illustrated the original (1986), creates colorful, if unfinished-looking, scenes featuring a notably multicultural human cast and a towering Cubist fantasy of a giant. The song, based on a Xhosa lullaby, still has that hard-to-resist sing-along potential, and the themes of waging peace, collective action, and the benefits of sound ecological practices are presented in ways that children will both appreciate and enjoy. (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-83271-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2001
Categories: CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S
Share your opinion of this book
Did you like this book?
More by Pete Seeger
BOOK REVIEW
by Pete Seeger & Paul Dubois Jacobs & illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
BOOK REVIEW
by Pete Seeger & Paul Dubois Jacobs & illustrated by Michael Hays
BOOK REVIEW
adapted by Pete Seeger & illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin
© Copyright 2022 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
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
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.