Lily and her beloved kangaroo (Where Are You, Blue Kangaroo, 2001, etc.) return in a tale of naughtiness and redemption. A recent spate of mischievousness has Lily in hot water with her mother until she hatches a sly plan to place the blame on her stuffed animal. Lily summarily lays each disaster—flooding the kitchen, driving the cat mad, launching her clothing out the window—at the stuffed feet of Blue Kangaroo. However, when she is sent to bed with out her best buddy, Lily has time for reflection. A remorseful note “written” by the kangaroo finds its way to Lily’s mother, and the pair is happily reunited. Clark convincingly portrays Lily’s relationship with Blue as interactive. Lily’s misadventures are observed by the patient Kangaroo, with commentary provided by the beast that is both humorous and a foreshadowing of Lily’s imminent mishaps. Clark exhibits a keen appreciation of how seemingly great ideas can turn into mini-disasters in the hands of small fry. Lily’s trials and tribulations are bound to resonate with young readers, while the loving resolution is gently reassuring and affirming. The colorful, detailed illustrations reflect the beguiling impishness of Lily and contain a subtle thread of wry humor—plus smaller, comically expressive inserts that depict Blue Kangaroo’s musings. An engaging cautionary tale about the importance of being truthful. (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2002
ISBN: 0-385-74623-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2002
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Parents of toddlers starting school or day care should seek separation-anxiety remedies elsewhere, and fans of the original...
A sweetened, condensed version of the best-selling picture book, The Kissing Hand.
As in the original, Chester Raccoon is nervous about attending Owl’s night school (raccoons are nocturnal). His mom kisses him on the paw and reminds him, “With a Kissing Hand… / We’ll never be apart.” The text boils the story down to its key elements, causing this version to feel rushed. Gone is the list of fun things Chester will get to do at school. Fans of the original may be disappointed that this board edition uses a different illustrator. Gibson’s work is equally sentimental, but her renderings are stiff and flat in comparison to the watercolors of Harper and Leak. Very young readers will probably not understand that Owl’s tree, filled with opossums, a squirrel, a chipmunk and others, is supposed to be a school.
Parents of toddlers starting school or day care should seek separation-anxiety remedies elsewhere, and fans of the original shouldn’t look to this version as replacement for their page-worn copies. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-933718-77-4
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Tanglewood Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance.
A boy with wings learns to be himself and inspires others like him to soar, too.
Norman, a “perfectly normal” boy, never dreamed he might grow wings. Afraid of what his parents might say, he hides his new wings under a big, stuffy coat. Although the coat hides his wings from the world, Norman no longer finds joy in bathtime, playing at the park, swimming, or birthday parties. With the gentle encouragement of his parents, who see his sadness, Norman finds the courage to come out of hiding and soar. Percival (The Magic Looking Glass, 2017, etc.) depicts Norman with light skin and dark hair. Black-and-white illustrations show his father with dark skin and hair and his mother as white. The contrast of black-and-white illustrations with splashes of bright color complements the story’s theme. While Norman tries to be “normal,” the world and people around him look black and gray, but his coat stands out in yellow. Birds pop from the page in pink, green, and blue, emphasizing the joy and beauty of flying free. The final spread, full of bright color and multiracial children in flight, sets the mood for Norman’s realization on the last page that there is “no such thing as perfectly normal,” but he can be “perfectly Norman.”
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68119-785-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
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