by Elise Hurst ; illustrated by Elise Hurst ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 11, 2016
Like a nice jaunt through the park—lovely and sometimes inspiring, if a bit unexciting at times.
Who could resist hanging out with gargoyles while sipping tea?
“Imagine a train to take you away,” instructs an unnamed yet kind-voiced narrator. That’s easy enough for a woman and her two children, who board a train all excited and wreathed in smiles. Soon, the dark-haired, pale-skinned trio disembark and enter a city full of towering buildings, bustling with both people and animals—some dressed in clothes, others not—who roam the streets. Hurst includes a few more peculiar figures in this establishing spread: a bear-shaped building, an ominous giraffe walking in the distance, whale-shaped silhouettes in the sky. Before long, the three adventurers are off into the city, riding both the wind and a large fish that serves as a bus service. Other excursions—like sun-bathing on lily pads—seem even more out of the ordinary with a pterodactyl nearby. It’s all in the details. Black-and-white ink drawings with an antique, Tenniel-esque feel give the city a muted energy, begging readers to use their colorful imaginations to fill in the rest. The sparse text evokes without overbearing, chugging along at a leisurely pace. Yet some sights stir curiosity better than others, and though the trio returns from the city content, some readers might wonder if that’s all there is.
Like a nice jaunt through the park—lovely and sometimes inspiring, if a bit unexciting at times. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Oct. 11, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-101-93457-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
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by Kobi Yamada ; illustrated by Elise Hurst
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by Elise Hurst ; illustrated by Elise Hurst
by Laurie Berkner ; illustrated by Camille Garoche ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 7, 2017
For Berkner’s fans; there are much better books about children visiting imaginative lands.
Berkner’s children’s song gets the picture-book treatment with illustrations from Garoche.
What kid hasn’t made a massive pillow fort and imagined all sorts of adventures? Well, Berkner’s premise is that there is a land where everything is made of pillows, and three lucky children get to visit there. (They appear to be siblings, perhaps a blended family: Mom and one girl are black; Dad, one boy, and one girl are white.) The illustrations transition between depictions of obvious imaginative play in a bedroom to a fantasy world and back again at the end, when the parents peek in at the three asleep. Garoche’s art consists of photos of papercut artwork arranged in dioramas with some Photoshop details. Reminiscent of Michael Garland’s work (though more pastel in color) or that of Elly McKay (though less ethereal), the illustrations are a mixed bag, with layers and hard edges juxtaposed against all the pillows. The king and queen of the song are obviously stand-ins for the parents. Children who know the tune may not sit still for a reading, while those who don’t may wonder at the repeated refrain.
For Berkner’s fans; there are much better books about children visiting imaginative lands. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-6467-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2017
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by Laurie Berkner ; illustrated by Ben Clanton
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by Laurie Berkner ; illustrated by Ben Clanton
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by Laurie Berkner & illustrated by Henry Cole
by Julia Donaldson illustrated by Axel Scheffler ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 1999
The action of this rhymed and humorous tale centers upon a mouse who "took a stroll/through the deep dark wood./A fox saw the mouse/and the mouse looked good." The mouse escapes being eaten by telling the fox that he is on his way to meet his friend the gruffalo (a monster of his imagination), whose favorite food is roasted fox. The fox beats a hasty retreat. Similar escapes are in store for an owl and a snake; both hightail it when they learn the particulars: tusks, claws, terrible jaws, eyes orange, tongue black, purple prickles on its back. When the gruffalo suddenly materializes out of the mouse's head and into the forest, the mouse has to think quick, declaring himself inedible as the "scariest creature in the deep dark wood," and inviting the gruffalo to follow him to witness the effect he has on the other creatures. When the gruffalo hears that the mouse's favorite food is gruffalo crumble, he runs away. It's a fairly innocuous tale, with twists that aren't sharp enough and treachery that has no punch. Scheffler's funny scenes prevent the suspense from culminating; all his creatures, predator and prey, are downright lovable. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: June 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-8037-2386-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1999
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by Julia Donaldson ; illustrated by Axel Scheffler
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by Julia Donaldson ; illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
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by Julia Donaldson ; illustrated by Victoria Sandøy
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