This interesting attempt to make Mr. Rogers’ wisdom broadly accessible may wind up mainly reinforcing the importance of his...
A collection of the lyrics to 75 songs composed by the beloved children’s-television personality.
Readers and listeners who’ve heard these words sung by their creator seem likely to be the most appreciative audience for the earnest messages, lighthearted flights of fancy, and familiar phrases found in the poems gathered here. Caregivers may wish to search out a specific song to introduce (or reinforce) a discussion about a typical childhood experience or difficulty. Poems encouraging a strong sense of self abound, as do those that reassure young children that they can manage their emotions as they continue to learn and grow. Because of the thematic emphasis on healthy development, however, this is more a resource than a collection that would invite casual browsing. Unfortunately, without the melodies, some of the poems lack obvious rhythm. And, as songs often do, some feature repeating phrases or verses. Both of these factors further weaken the book’s potential appeal as a general poetry collection. Flowers’ illustrations are energetic and feature characters from the iconic television show as well as vignettes of young children and spot drawings of everyday objects. The pictures tie the collection even more closely to their source and may spark some interest, but they do little to extend or expand the meaning of the text.
This interesting attempt to make Mr. Rogers’ wisdom broadly accessible may wind up mainly reinforcing the importance of his presence to its success. (index) (Poetry. 3-8)Pub Date: March 19, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-68369-113-6
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Quirk Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
Manners in meter. Kozjan uses bright and cheerful figures with exaggerated expressions and gestures to illustrate Kinerk’s verse. The poems range from longer advisories in multiple panels to brief expositions with many spot images to full-panel spreads that reflect the waggish humor of the words. The poet never loses his light touch: Verses about cleaning one’s room, coping with getting the giggles and talking (not) at the movies get their points across. Some children are presented in narrative, like Chuck who takes a bath before he polishes his shoes, with inevitable results, or Eleanor Ickity, whose dislike of almost any foodstuff ends with her grossing out her parents with a plate of corn and chocolate sauce. Then there’s Egbert, who tends to drop his clothes everywhere, leaving him with not a stitch, er, behind. Kinerk slips the idea that good manners are really about being nice to each other in general. He doesn’t overtly quote the Golden Rule (Do unto others, etc.), but it underlies all the fun. Readers would do well to learn from the example of Claymore B. Tate, who is so refined that he cannot help but correct everyone else at table: “Manners aren’t lists of the things you should do. / Manners help folks become easy with you.” (Picture book/poetry. 5-8)
Pub Date: March 8, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4169-3362-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 10, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sumptuous work filled with a deliciously wrapped center—perfect for classrooms, school, public, or church libraries, or...
When the chaos of life threatens to overtake your soul, a simple psalm can soothe you.
In this picture book, Wilder Award–winning author Grimes delivers a compact yet powerful message of hope and encouragement based on Psalm 121. Short poems energized with kindness, despair, hope, regret, and acceptance are delivered using a style she describes in the back of the book as “the golden shovel,” a form she also used in One Last Word (2017). Grimes defines this form as using a portion of an existing poem and arranging it in such a way that the end words of each line form a short sentence from the original poem. Using the words from the psalm, woven with carefully crafted words of her own, she tells the story of Jordan and Tanya, two elementary school children struggling with fitting in, trying to survive. Tanya, a black girl, stutters and compensates with meanness; while Jordan, a shy and quiet white boy, just wants to make a friend. Tanya feels the constant brunt of others' lack of compassion and directs that anger toward Jordan. Collier’s exquisite artwork combines soft, delicate brush strokes with lively photo collages. The effect is both hyper-realistic and gauzily surreal, a perfect complement to Grimes’ poems.
A sumptuous work filled with a deliciously wrapped center—perfect for classrooms, school, public, or church libraries, or home: wherever hearts go for mending. (Picture book/poetry. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 9, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-8028-5445-2
Page Count: 42
Publisher: Eerdmans
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2017
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