“Why worry?” Because the potentially lethal events depicted warrant it.
A pair of friendly insects experiences a series of worrisome events, but each has radically different reactions.
Although Grasshopper thinks it is “a fine day,” her neighbor Cricket has a bad feeling about it. Indeed, as he makes his way over for tea, a crow captures the two friends. Cricket frets, declaring vindication, although Grasshopper persistently assures him that “everything will turn out all right.” She gets them out of the bird’s clutches, but they tumble from one metaphoric pickle into another, relying on luck for the rest of the adventure until they serendipitously return home. Once, Grasshopper shows a sensitive acknowledgement of Cricket’s fears, when she wraps her arms around Cricket while he cries. The rest of the time, she dismisses his concerns and concentrates on the fun she’s having. Cricket’s worries prove monumentally prescient, and Grasshopper’s reassurances come across as uncaring placations. The backmatter essay on “Children and Worry” by two psychotherapists, intended for adult readers, explores why children (of an undefined age) may experience worry and offers a bulleted list of suggestions with sample dialogue. However, the life events they suggest that may provoke worry (conflict, bullying, divorce, bereavement), while grave, don’t have the same stakes as the life-threatening events the story characters face. The soft edges of the pastel-hued illustrations recall fuzzy felt. Their bright cheeriness tempers the scary events of the story and matches the pedantic tone. Large type and a fair amount of negative space make for appealing layouts.
“Why worry?” Because the potentially lethal events depicted warrant it. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: May 7, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5132-6200-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: West Margin Press
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience.
The How to Catch A… crew try for Comet.
Having already failed to nab a Halloween witch, the Easter Bunny, a turkey, a leprechaun, the Tooth Fairy, and over a dozen other iconic trophies in previous episodes of this bestselling series, one would think the racially diverse gaggle of children in Elkerton’s moonlit, wintry scenes would be flagging…but no, here they lay out snares ranging from a loop of garland to an igloo baited with reindeer moss to an enticing candy cane maze, all in hopes of snagging one of Santa’s reindeer while he’s busy delivering presents. Infused with pop culture–based Christmas cheer (“Now I’ve already seen the shelf with the elf”), Comet prances past the traps until it’s time to gather up the kids, most of whom look terrified, for a group snapshot with the other reindeer and then climb back into harness: “This was a great stop but a few million to go / Christmas Eve must continue with style!” Though festive, the verse feels trite and unlikely to entice youngsters. A sprinkling of “True Facts About Reindeer” (“They live in the tundra, where they have friends like the arctic bunny”) wrap up this celebration of the predatory spirit. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 9781728276137
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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