With a little water and tender loving care, it's a pleasure to watch this garden grow.
It takes time for flowers to bloom, but the delightful fruits of this labor prove worth the wait.
A young boy works to nurture his blossoming yard. Individual words build to a natural crescendo. “Covers / Wets / Waits / Forgets / Rain / Sun / Boy shouts. / Green sprouts peep out!” The passage of time is clearly marked in the illustrations as the boy takes care of (and forgets) his gardening chores, and the natural rhymes reflect the growth of the season. No adults interfere with this child-centered experience. Subtle, understated spreads complement the powerfully quiet text. The soft lines move just enough to create gentle energy within each frame. The cherub-cheeked youngster maintains his gentle smile as he works. An imposing tree remains a focal point for the pictures in long shots, providing extra stability. Shifts in perspective allow children to get dirty with the young gardener.
With a little water and tender loving care, it's a pleasure to watch this garden grow. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: May 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-56145-581-2
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: May 29, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2012
While the youngster was pleasingly more self-reliant and self-assured in previous offerings, his play and his interactions...
As in In the Garden and In the Woods (both 2012), a young boy enjoys life in the great outdoors.
Here, he delights in a day at the beach. One, two or three words on each page make up the rhyming text: “Sun Sky / Shore Boy // Sand Pail / Spade Toy.” The youngster makes a sand birthday cake with his shovel and pail, but an inevitable wave destroys it. His mother, nearby, comforts him with a picnic lunch and a “Lap Nap” as he dreams of the sea. Oliphant’s soft drawings, which look to be a mix of watercolor and colored pencil, capture the flow of sand and water well, though beach-going children will wonder at the pair’s solitude on this apparently perfect summer day.
While the youngster was pleasingly more self-reliant and self-assured in previous offerings, his play and his interactions with the natural world continue to ring true. (Board book. 18 mos.-3)Pub Date: May 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-56145-583-6
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: May 14, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2013
Toddlers and young preschoolers, both independently and in groups, will enjoy both the guessing game and the simple,...
An engaging, lift-the-flap riddle book that will keep little ones guessing.
The left side of each double-page spread offers a short, rhyming couplet describing a certain type of animal’s movement. For instance, the book begins with: “When we move, we are pretty slow. / Waddling keeps us warm in snow.” On the right side of the page is the question “Who are we?” printed atop a flap. On the edge of each flap is a tab with an arrow as well as a clue to the riddle’s answer. In this case, readers see orange, webbed feet and a white body. Simply lifting the flap reveals the word “Penguins” and three penguins who appear to be waddling across the page, but pulling on the tab in the direction indicated by the arrow reveals a hidden gatefold with another penguin scene and a fun fact: “We penguins have feathers to keep us dry and warm!” In addition to the penguins, readers see giraffes, snakes, arctic foxes and leopards. The rhyming riddles are amusing but not easy; children will need help from the clue on the tab to guess the answers. The appealing illustrations feature frolicking animals and uncluttered, skillfully rendered landscapes.
Toddlers and young preschoolers, both independently and in groups, will enjoy both the guessing game and the simple, interesting animal facts this offering provides. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: June 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-545-46762-9
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2013
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