by G. Francis Johnson & illustrated by Dimitrea Tokunbo ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2004
There is nothing as refreshing as the hopefulness of a child. Young Jabari finds an almost new glove on the steps of the subway. He is determined to locate the owner despite his mother’s warning that this will be a difficult task. As Jabari and his mother walk through the inner-city streets, Jabari asks those he encounters. First he approaches a crew of construction workers, but, as they point out, they wear big suede gloves. The fish monger wears rubber gloves and traffic officer wears white ones. All the way home, Jabari learns about different kinds of gloves and their uses. He also sees many interesting urban sights and meets a variety of people. He doesn’t, however, find the owner. Jabari becomes downcast as he nears home, but at the 11th hour, he performs a tiny, modern-day miracle. Lively illustrations alternate between textured details and stunningly realistic faces to simpler, darkly outlined watercolors. This is an involving read that reminds us that it never hurts to try. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2004
ISBN: 1-59078-041-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2004
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by Hans Wilhelm ; illustrated by Hans Wilhelm ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 15, 2016
A deceptively subtle thought-provoker for preschoolers.
Four round and rubbery cartoon African animals—a wild dog, a warthog, a lion, and an elephant—find what seems to be a hole in the wall.
Round-eyed with excitement, each runs back to its fellows to report that the previous observer was wrong about what it observed. The dog finds the hole first: he sees a dog in it. The warthog sees a warthog, and so on. Alert children will catch on to this from the first image. (Spoiler alert: it’s a mirror.) At the end, when all four buddies (only the elephant is tagged as female) realize they are all correct and view themselves together in the mirror, “Everyone was happy because everyone was right!” The type is large and bold and uses color to highlight various words; all the colors have a smooth and slick feel to them. The story is based on a Mark Twain fable, which is reproduced in all of its fustian glory in three pages of text at the end. The moral of that tale is actually somewhat different from Wilhelm’s version and will prepare young readers for deconstructionist literary criticism in their later years, but the whole makes a fairly good read-aloud with very few words.
A deceptively subtle thought-provoker for preschoolers. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 15, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3535-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 2, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2015
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by Tara Lazar ; illustrated by Ross MacDonald ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 16, 2017
Counting has never been so mysterious or so much fun
Pun fun reigns over this fast-paced whodunit.
Private I of the Al F. Bet agency is at his desk when a frantic 6 races in. 7 is “after me,” declares the distressed numeral. Answers Private I: “Well, technically, he’s always after you.” The detective, narrating his caper noir-style, dons his fedora and follows the numbers. The case is solved when he upends the evidence and proclaims that 6 is really 9. This is followed by very humorous and slightly philosophical analysis of numerical significances. Is being in “seventh heaven” better than having “NINE lives!” or not? Lazar’s text is straight out of the classic detective genre, as are MacDonald’s illustrations, which are a mix of colored pencil, watercolor, and 19th-century wood type, all composed in Photoshop. The scenes are clearly set in an old-time Manhattan, with the office, streets, and harbor reimagining movie sets straight out of the 1930s and ’40s, albeit colorized. The oversized letters and numerals all have very entertaining faces and tiny protruding arms and legs that convey constant movement. The name of the detective agency is an adventure in pronunciation. Is it the English word “alphabet” or the Hebrew words for alphabet: “alef bet”?
Counting has never been so mysterious or so much fun . (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: May 16, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4847-1779-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Feb. 13, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2017
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