by Frank Boylan ; illustrated by Sally Garland ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 10, 2017
Readers would be better served by simply going outside to experience the seasons themselves.
A young girl celebrates the months and seasons of the year.
“Every year has months and seasons. / I love each for different reasons. / Turn the page and you will see / what makes each month special to me.” The pale-skinned brunette with rosy cheeks starts her ode with January’s ice and snow, but it quickly goes off the rails, as several of the months do not describe things she loves: “February / has rain and ice. / When that thaws out / it’s always nice.” And March’s springtime breezes sometimes give her sneezes. Temperature seems to be the biggest differentiator among the months, and the only holiday that makes an appearance is Halloween. After December, a final stanza mentions the seasons and the titular magic of a year; the illustration is recycled from the January spread. While the bright colors and scratchy feel of the seemingly digital artwork will attract readers, kids may be mystified as to why the girl’s otherwise peach-colored face (and the dog’s yellow one) has white splotches. While in some cases it might be construed as highlights from strong sunlight, that’s not always the case. The final spread is the text of Sara Coleridge’s “The Garden Year,” the author’s inspiration.
Readers would be better served by simply going outside to experience the seasons themselves. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 10, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4867-1319-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Flowerpot Press
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
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by Frank Boylan ; illustrated by Mary Manning
by Pip Jones ; illustrated by Sara Ogilvie ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2020
A disappointing follow-up.
Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).
While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.
A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
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by Pip Jones ; illustrated by Sara Ogilvie
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by Pip Jones ; illustrated by Laura Hughes
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by Pip Jones ; illustrated by Ella Okstad
by Owen Hart ; illustrated by Sean Julian ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2017
Parent-child love and affection, appealingly presented, with the added attraction of the seasonal content and lack of gender...
A polar-bear parent speaks poetically of love for a child.
A genderless adult and cub travel through the landscapes of an arctic year. Each of the softly rendered double-page paintings has a very different feel and color palette as the pair go through the seasons, walking through wintry ice and snow and green summer meadows, cavorting in the blue ocean, watching whales, and playing beside musk oxen. The rhymes of the four-line stanzas are not forced, as is the case too often in picture books of this type: “When cold, winter winds / blow the leaves far and wide, / You’ll cross the great icebergs / with me by your side.” On a dark, snowy night, the loving parent says: “But for now, cuddle close / while the stars softly shine. // I’ll always be yours, / and you’ll always be mine.” As the last illustration shows the pair curled up for sleep, young listeners will be lulled to sweet dreams by the calm tenor of the pictures and the words. While far from original, this timeless theme is always in demand, and the combination of delightful illustrations and poetry that scans well make this a good choice for early-childhood classrooms, public libraries, and one-on-one home read-alouds.
Parent-child love and affection, appealingly presented, with the added attraction of the seasonal content and lack of gender restrictions. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-68010-070-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
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by Owen Hart ; illustrated by Caroline Pedler
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by Owen Hart ; illustrated by Judi Abbot
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by Owen Hart ; illustrated by Caroline Pedler
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