Woodcock captures the joy of a summer day’s adventure in this diverting romp through a thematic concept.
The siblings of Look (2018) are back, this time delving into words with a double L.
The sun greets sister and brother with a warm “hello” at their campground. Navigating “valley” and “hilltop,” the family drives to a beach amusement park to “yell,” “gallop,” and “thrill.” At “nightfall” they roast “marshmallow[s]” and then “collapse” onto a “pillow” after a full day. As in their debut, the sunglasses-clad sister and baseball-capped brother daytrip to (mostly) one word per page. The artwork, done with markers, rubber stamps, and digital compositing, showcases Woodcock’s cheerful, primary color palette. Sometimes labored, her most effective work focuses on shapes and playful compositions rather than lighting. The “ll” in “gallop” are formed by the posts on carousel horses; the “ll” in “marshmallow” are two sticks holding the puffy confections aloft. “YELL,” on the other hand, is depicted, one letter at a time, descending the articulated dips of a mammoth slide. The wit in “THRILL / SHRILL / (ILL)” resides in textual juxtaposition alone rather than the words’ incorporation into the illustration of the “rollercoaster.” An exemplary piece is the title page, on which the “ll” of the title are formed by the shadow cast by the indigo-haired girl standing in front of the sun. Deliciously colored end pages, patterned with the letter “L,” highlight the design’s appeal. Both kids have light skin.
Woodcock captures the joy of a summer day’s adventure in this diverting romp through a thematic concept. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: May 14, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-06-264456-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2019
A lovely, simple reminder to pause and notice this life.
A white-bearded grandfather imparts his gentle wisdom to his grandchildren—a girl and a boy—as they meander through a placid green space.
Together, the grandfather and children make note of the bustling natural world. The birds are flying, the dog is running; everyone seems to be in a hurry. The grandfather suggests that the children try another way of being with him, sitting quietly on a bench. The creatures around them respond to their stillness, also taking a moment to rest. As the book draws toward its close, each child is featured in a full-page portrait illustration, gazing out as they note what the quiet and stillness offers to them: “I can think, when I’m quiet. / I can see, when I’m still.” It seems as though the prolific author and illustrator dePaola is speaking directly to readers on these pages, passing on his own insight. His signature illustration style is so simple that it feels fresh. Thick outlines separate individual shapes, and the muted palette epitomizes softness. A single white lotus floats in a small pond on the final page, perhaps paying homage to contemplative practices such as mindfulness that encourage making space for quiet reflection in our busy lives. Children and grandfather have light skin, the girl with straight black hair and the boy with a curly red mop.
A lovely, simple reminder to pause and notice this life. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 9, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7754-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2018
A solo debut for Wenzel showcasing both technical chops and a philosophical bent.
Wouldn’t the same housecat look very different to a dog and a mouse, a bee and a flea, a fox, a goldfish, or a skunk?
The differences are certainly vast in Wenzel’s often melodramatic scenes. Benign and strokable beneath the hand of a light-skinned child (visible only from the waist down), the brindled cat is transformed to an ugly, skinny slinker in a suspicious dog’s view. In a fox’s eyes it looks like delectably chubby prey but looms, a terrifying monster, over a cowering mouse. It seems a field of colored dots to a bee; jagged vibrations to an earthworm; a hairy thicket to a flea. “Yes,” runs the terse commentary’s refrain, “they all saw the cat.” Words in italics and in capital letters in nearly every line give said commentary a deliberate cadence and pacing: “The cat walked through the world, / with its whiskers, ears, and paws… // and the fish saw A CAT.” Along with inviting more reflective viewers to ruminate about perception and subjectivity, the cat’s perambulations offer elemental visual delights in the art’s extreme and sudden shifts in color, texture, and mood from one page or page turn to the next.
A solo debut for Wenzel showcasing both technical chops and a philosophical bent. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4521-5013-0
Page Count: 44
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
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