The classic child’s game of follow-the-leader springs to life in a convivial tale of sibling play. Inside on a snowy day, two brothers frolic through the house, letting their imaginations soar as they enact the creative commands of the eldest. Together they hop about imitating various animals, do handstands, twirl, juggle imaginary objects, and much more. Silverman’s (Raisel’s Riddle, 1999, etc.) bouncy rhymes capture the energy of the siblings as they bound through the game. “Climb up the jungle gym. Dangle. Then jump. Sit on a swing and pump, pump, pump, pump!” She adeptly conveys the nuances of sibling relationships and rivalry—from the preemptory tone of the older brother to the younger one’s attempts at independence. Underneath the play is a message about taking turns—with the older brother eventually, gracefully conceding his leader status to his younger sibling. The illustrations of the round-headed brothers have an appealing cartoon-like quality to them and are a perfect venue for the humorous tale. Karas’s (High-Rise Private Eyes, p. 964, etc.) vivacious, full-color drawings combine the twosome’s flights of fancy with their pragmatic, homemade props—e.g., a trio of stuffed animals becomes a circus menagerie, and a white polka-dot quilt transforms a hodgepodge pile of objects into a snow-covered ski slope. The possibilities are limitless in this imaginative romp, which will have readers eagerly anticipating their own follow-the-leader adventures. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2000
ISBN: 0-374-32423-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2000
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A snappy rhyming text celebrates an extended family’s joyous gyrations to the jazz spinning on the turntable. From waking to sleep, Baby’s right in the thick of it, as siblings, grandparents and cousins move and groove: “So they BOOM-BOOM-BOOM / and they HIP-HIP-HOP / and the bouncin’ baby boogies with a BOP-BOP-BOP.” Wheeler’s verse scans beautifully and begs to be read aloud—danced to, even—making this a fine choice for preschool and kindergarten story times. Christie’s bold, double-paged gouache compositions locate this colorfully garbed, expressively hip family within an equally vibrant community. As Baby’s big dark eyes get glassy with fatigue, the party winds down. “Daddy sings blues. / Mama sings sweet. / While that snoozy-woozy baby . . . / . . . sleeps deep, deep, deep.” Exultant and infectious, from the red-and-yellow-striped endpapers to the final “OH YEAH!” (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-15-202522-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2007
A lively celebration of music and expressive dance.
The beat is all around her when a girl takes a walk in the park with her mother.
On a lovely summer day, a young African-American girl in a bright pink sundress and matching sneakers sees, smells, sings, claps and snaps her fingers to an internal rhythm. As a boom box plays its song and a drummer taps his beat, neighborhood children join her in an energetic, pulsating dance culminating in a rousing musical parade. Schofield-Morrison’s brief text has a shout-it-out element as each spread resounds with a two-word phrase: “I shook a rhythm with my hips. /SHAKE SHAKE”; “I tapped the rhythm with my toes. / TIP TAP.” Morrison’s full-bleed, textured oil paintings capture the joy of a mother and daughter in an urban park surrounded by musicians, food vendors and many exuberant children. Read this aloud with music playing loudly—not in the background. Morrison is a Coretta Scott King/New Talent Award winner, and this is a fine debut for his wife in their first collaboration.
A lively celebration of music and expressive dance. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 3, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-61963-178-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: April 15, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2014
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