The author of Old Turtle and other modern fables presents a rather convoluted explanation of feeling thankful for all the blessings in life, including the wonders of nature as well as the comforts of home and family. The story follows a girl and her dog as she visits the country home of her grandparents, enjoying some contemplative time outdoors in the fall. The second-person text is structured around the discovery of a “secret” that can be discovered as one expresses thanks—a grateful attitude leads to happiness, rather than the other way around. The philosophical orientation is a little murky, as thanks are offered to natural objects (flowers, rocks, mountains) directly and prayer is mentioned in a rather general way, with no mention of God. Shed’s sun-dappled, impressionistic paintings create a believable persona for the main character, who is clearly both grateful and happy at her idyllic country sojourn with her golden retriever always by her side. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-689-85410-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2005
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Sweet—and savory.
When a girl visits her grandmother, a writer and “grand friend,” she is seeking something special to share at show and tell on the first day of school.
Before Brook can explain, Mimi expresses concern that certain words describing the natural world will disappear if someone doesn’t care for and use them. (An author’s note explains the author’s motivation: She had read of the removal of 100 words about outdoor phenomena from the Oxford Junior Dictionary.) The duo sets out to search for and experience the 19 words on Mimi’s list, from “acorn” and “buttercup” to “violet” and “willow.” Kloepper’s soft illustrations feature green and brown earth tones that frame the white, matte pages; bursts of red, purple, and other spot colors enliven the scenes. Both Mimi and Brook are depicted as white. The expedition is described in vivid language, organized as free verse in single sentences or short paragraphs. Key words are printed in color in a larger display type and capital letters. Sensory details allow the protagonist to hear, see, smell, taste, and hold the wild: “ ‘Quick! Make a wish!’ said Mimi, / holding out a DANDELION, / fairy dust sitting on a stem. / ‘Blow on it and the seeds will fly. / Your tiny wishes in the air.’ ” It’s a day of wonder, with a touch of danger and a solution to Brook’s quest. The last page forms an envelope for readers’ own vocabulary collections.
Sweet—and savory. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: March 10, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4521-7073-2
Page Count: 62
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2020
Good, artfully delivered advice for would-be builders of any age.
A safety primer for budding construction engineers.
“Sketch a dream. Post a chart. / Hatch the plan before you start.” Donning sturdy boots and a hard hat, a blue dog sets out to design and build a house using both hand tools and heavy machinery. Each stage of the enterprise features a big, bright, very simple cartoon scene and a cautionary remark—from “Use your legs and not your back” when lifting loads and “come down steady” on a ladder to “Goggles on before you slice. / Cut just once—but measure twice.” Of course, there’s also a break for lunch. At last the dog and a small bird who has been looking on step back to admire their finished building and then head home to hang up the hard hat, hit the pillows, and dream of future projects. Kids will enjoy seeing the bird’s involvement, which ranges from reasonably credible, as when it perches on the dog’s hard hat while eyeing a worm at lunchtime, to the whimsically impossible, as when it helps the dog lift a cinder block by fluttering aloft while holding a string tied to one end in its beak.
Good, artfully delivered advice for would-be builders of any age. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 4, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0175-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 13, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2017
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