In spite of a somewhat lackluster text, this is a refreshingly traditional antidote to electronic amusements.
The best-laid plans of mice and OCD birds….
Caterina is a small brown bird with a penchant for crafting and an obsession with lists: “Lists of things to do / Lists of things not to do / Lists of things to love / Lists of things not to love” (the only item on this list, iterated three times, is “surprises”). Her most important list is that of her friends, because she is preparing to throw her first party. She has planned everything down to the last detail. She has creatively crafted invitations and decorations, and she has prepared sumptuous appetizers. Caterina schleps all the party goods to the picnic site and readies the elegant feast. However, she has reckoned without the unpredictability of the weather. It rains on her parade and drenches all her creations. She is devastated and does not know what to do, until her friends come to the rescue, bringing wonderful potluck food, music and good cheer. The impromptu party and slap-up feed is better than anything Caterina could have planned. The well-worn message that having good friends trumps adversity is given a fresh interpretation in these charming, collage-filled pages. Any child who enjoys scrapbooking or crafts will be inspired to get busy with crayons, glue and scissors by the crafty images on every page.
In spite of a somewhat lackluster text, this is a refreshingly traditional antidote to electronic amusements. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: July 11, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3902-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Lovely and sweet.
As winter nears, a squirrel and a bird forge a friendship.
When autumn comes, Squirrel gets busy, dashing up and down trees to gather nuts. He’s in the middle of a good rest when a little bird lands next to him. Squirrel offers a nut to eat, but the bird eats only worms. A little gentle coaxing gets the bird to try it, and: “Nuts are delicious!” he declares. Squirrel invites the bird to climb, but he doesn’t know how. Instead he flies up to meet his new friend, sitting on the topmost branch of the tree and sweetly singing; it gives Squirrel goosebumps. Squirrel can’t sing, but he can hum, and they make beautiful music together. The day gets even better when they play and climb, jump and hop, fly and spring; and sing all day long! At the end of the day, they sit on the grass together, eating and watching the sunset. “And that’s how Squirrel and the bird stayed together. And it didn’t matter at all that they were very different. It was exactly right, just the way it was.” Schomburg and Röttgen present their lesson on diversity and celebrating it with a deft touch, their focus on the characters’ experiences keeping the book from ever sounding didactic. Julian gives both characters, especially Squirrel, sweet and gentle demeanors; their woodland playscape is suffused with bright, warm colors.
Lovely and sweet. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-68010-031-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
Younger siblings of the Mercy chapter-book lovers will find their way into the series with this first look, written just for...
To paraphrase an immortal spider, Mercy is some pig.
Mercy Watson, a “small and not at all ordinary” pig, is already the star of six early chapter books, well-known for her love of buttered toast and, of course, of Mr. and Mrs. Watson, the white couple who care for her. But how did Mercy come to live with the Watsons? And how did they discover her love for buttered toast? Written simply for the pre–chapter-book audience, with big, bright, often full-spread illustrations, this picture book offers an introduction to Mercy, “the porcine wonder,” with all the dramatic expressions and gentle humor of the chapter books and some irresistible pig cuteness sprinkled in for extra charm. Vivid colors cause each illustration to pop, with a retro style to the Watsons’ rosy cheeks, classic car, and rather traditional gender roles (Mrs. Watson vacuums, Mr. Watson polishes the car). An unnamed interracial family seen through a window references two characters introduced as school-age children in the fourth installment of the chapter-book series: Frank and Stella, he as a toddler and she as a baby. Since the target audience for this outing will have no familiarity with them, their presence mostly serves to underscore the otherwise all-white human cast.
Younger siblings of the Mercy chapter-book lovers will find their way into the series with this first look, written just for them . (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7753-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2019
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