A lovely, inventive take on learning to give and take, for older preschoolers and young grade schoolers.
A little girl has a big talent—blending into the background. Is it fun for all?
Readers first glimpse pale-skinned, black-haired Heidi riding a scooter in front of a blue picket fence; the stripes of her dress and of the long scarf trailing behind her make her easy to miss at first glance. The same thing happens when she’s lying on a flowered couch, standing in front of the chalkboard, or playing in the forest. She’s not exactly Waldo, but it’s easy to skip over her. Naturally, Heidi loves to play hide-and-seek. During her birthday party, she blends easily into a bunch of balloons—but her friends get tired of looking for her and instead dig into some yummy ice cream sundaes. After the party, Heidi has a good long think, and the next day, when Freddie suggests a “hippity-hop race,” Heidi’s quick to second the motion. Freddie’s very good at it. They have a roller-skate race; Katie wins. And Lizzie’s the best at climbing the jungle gym. Heidi’s happy with her friends. (With her dark skin and puffy, tightly curled pigtails, Katie is the only obvious character of color.) Heidi’s hiding provides some nifty optical illusions, and Woodcock’s illustrations have an appealing gossamer quality. The story itself is told with similar subtle economy, which could elude younger readers.
A lovely, inventive take on learning to give and take, for older preschoolers and young grade schoolers. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-49980-350-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2016
Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle...
Making things is difficult work. Readers will recognize the stages of this young heroine’s experience as she struggles to realize her vision.
First comes anticipation. The artist/engineer is spotted jauntily pulling a wagonload of junkyard treasures. Accompanied by her trusty canine companion, she begins drawing plans and building an assemblage. The narration has a breezy tone: “[S]he makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!” The colorful caricatures and creations contrast with the digital black outlines on a white background that depict an urban neighborhood. Intermittent blue-gray panels break up the white expanses on selected pages showing sequential actions. When the first piece doesn’t turn out as desired, the protagonist tries again, hoping to achieve magnificence. A model of persistence, she tries many adjustments; the vocabulary alone offers constructive behaviors: she “tinkers,” “wrenches,” “fiddles,” “examines,” “stares” and “tweaks.” Such hard work, however, combines with disappointing results, eventually leading to frustration, anger and injury. Explosive emotions are followed by defeat, portrayed with a small font and scaled-down figures. When the dog, whose expressions have humorously mirrored his owner’s through each phase, retrieves his leash, the resulting stroll serves them well. A fresh perspective brings renewed enthusiasm and—spoiler alert—a most magnificent scooter sidecar for a loyal assistant.
Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle characterization for maximum delight. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-55453-704-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2014
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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
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BOOK REVIEW
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