It’s a cute-enough story, but it’s unlikely to have much staying power.
A parrot offers dubious help during preparations for the Passover Seder.
Lily, who lives in a Brooklyn brownstone, is the narrator for her story about the spring Jewish festival. When her next-door neighbor gifts Lily with a parrot, Mama is not happy. She is busy cleaning the house of “all the hametz, the leavened foods,” which are not eaten on Passover. The parrot soon acquires a name: Hametz. Meanwhile, Lily decides to practice asking the ceremonial four questions in Hebrew, a role in the Passover Seder traditionally given to the youngest child. The only one in the house who will listen to her practice is the parrot—who, of course, repeats every word he hears. Finally, the big night arrives, the family assembles, and Papa begins. The afikomen is hidden, and Lily begins the questions. And so does the parrot, who is banished from the dining room. Alas, when the time comes, the children cannot find the afikomen—or Hametz. But everything ends well for the family, and they (and the parrot) are ready for the second night’s Seder. Zusman’s tale is mildly amusing, particularly for those children who have practiced the four questions; there are no background notes. Brooker’s art is colorfully nostalgic, depicting a mid-20th-century Brooklyn and a pale-skinned Jewish family.
It’s a cute-enough story, but it’s unlikely to have much staying power. (Picture book/religion. 3-6)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5124-2882-7
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Kar-Ben
Review Posted Online: Feb. 18, 2018
A funny tale about stress and an ever upping ante, with a comforting end.
Something is preventing Owl from falling asleep.
Owl leans back against his white pillow and headboard. “Squeek!” says something underneath the bed. Owl’s never heard that sound before, so he fastens his pink bathrobe and answers the front door. Nobody. It must be the wind; back to bed. Bidding himself goodnight, he climbs into bed—and hears the noise again. Time after time, he pops out of bed seeking the squeaker. Is it in the cupboard? He empties the shelves. Under the floor? He pulls up his floorboards. As Owl’s actions ratchet up—he destroys the roof and smashes the walls, all in search of the squeak—so does his anxiety. Not until he hunkers down in bed under the night sky (his bed is now outdoors, because the house’s roof and walls are gone), frantically clutching his pillow, does he see what readers have seen all along: a small, gray mouse. In simple illustrations with black outlines, textured coloring, and foreshortened perspective, Pizzoli plays mischievously with mouse placement. Sometimes the mouse is behind Owl or just out of his sightline; other times, the mouse is on a solid, orange-colored page across the spread from Owl, which removes him from Owl’s scene in a rather postmodern manner. Is the mouse toying with Owl? Who knows?
A funny tale about stress and an ever upping ante, with a comforting end. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 19, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4847-1275-7
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2016
Though it is light on specific information about how and why teeth are lost, most children will enjoy relating to Bear in...
Wilson and Chapman continue this popular series that began with Bear Snores On (2002).
Bear has invited his friends for lunch, when “something wiggled, and it wobbled…something moved when he chewed! It was… / Bear’s / loose / tooth!” In full-bleed spreads with a palette dominated by blues and greens, Chapman ably portrays Bear’s concern over this dental dilemma as well as the genuine empathy and determination of his many animal friends when they try to help remove the tooth. On several pages Bear looks right at readers as he reacts to his predicament, bringing them immediately into the story. After Hare, Mouse, Wren, Owl, Badger and others all fail at prying it loose, Bear “used his tongue and…gave a little nudge” until it falls out. A fairy comes as Bear sleeps and leaves “blueberries where Bear’s tooth had been!” Wilson keeps young readers engaged with rhyming text that keeps the gentle action flowing.
Though it is light on specific information about how and why teeth are lost, most children will enjoy relating to Bear in his latest oh-so-cozy adventure. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4169-5855-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: July 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2011
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