With no takeaway lesson and little to hold readers’ interest, this is one stone to skip.
A stone who dreams of flight gets his wish.
An anthropomorphized stone who sports a jaunty acorn-cap hat observes the world around him and wishes he could see and do the things others do. But unlike the insects all around him—the hopping grasshoppers, the marching ants, the buzzing bees—Jerome knows he cannot even move on his own. (In a funny sequence of vignettes, he exerts great effort, but only his facial features move.) But then, “Without any warning, Jerome was soaring through the air,” kicked by a boy who then stows the rock in his pocket. Readers—and Jerome—quickly learn the boy’s intent, as he places Jerome just so, pulls back, and lets fly with a slingshot. Jerome’s flight is marvelous, though impossible with regard to the rules of physics; he ends up in space before coming back to Earth to hit a bullseye (hat still on) and wonder what tomorrow will bring. The simplistic cartoon illustrations don’t seem tailored for the same audience as the wordy, pedestrian text. Moreover, as a character, Jerome is literally inert; his only arc is his flight, and readers will wonder what the overall point is. The perspective changes and Jerome’s expressive face really put readers in his shoes, uhmmm, hat, though.
With no takeaway lesson and little to hold readers’ interest, this is one stone to skip. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-73277-132-1
Page Count: 34
Publisher: Doodle and Peck Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 21, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2019
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
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
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