Much lightened by its upbeat resolution, a cautionary but not strident discussion starter about responsible resource...
In this companion to the similarly eco-themed Mr. King’s Things (2012), a lion-turned–real estate developer recklessly undermines his own foundations.
Fixed on expanding his house into a “BIG castle” since he likes “BIG things,” Mr. King chips block-shaped pieces from the surrounding BIG hill to build battlements and colonnades. By the time he’s finished his project, there’s nothing left of the hill beneath but a few tiny green snippets floating in white space. Rather than letting gravity take over or moving her tale in some other, more realistic direction, Côté opts for, in essence, a do-over. Feeling “very small” at seeing the hill’s other animal residents gathered to protest the loss of grass, flowers and habitat, Mr. King joins in to reassemble the cutout pieces back into seamless slopes. There’s even a leftover block suitable for a smaller building project, so everyone gets to come away satisfied. Done in crayon and thin, streaked tissue collage, the brightly lit illustrations feature flat geometric shapes and smiling (before and after, at least), simply drawn cartoon figures.
Much lightened by its upbeat resolution, a cautionary but not strident discussion starter about responsible resource allocation. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-55453-972-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: May 28, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2013
Giving has never been so gratifying.
Hare is certain that sharing is pointless. Can anything cause a change of heart?
Turnips bring Hare great pleasure, and the cranky, enormous-eared orange creature greedily hoards them: “The more I give away, the less there is for ME.” When newly arrived rabbits inquire if Hare can spare some produce until they get settled, the protagonist doesn’t relent. Other animals pitch in, however, and the newcomers cook stew for all. Their generosity perplexes Hare: Why would anyone with such meager resources offer food to others? Small’s descriptive, third-person narrative contrasts well with the rhyming dialogue. His animation background shines through in clean compositions that are by turn whimsical (a stovetop espresso maker accompanies Hare during nighttime gardening stints) and dramatic. Set against black backgrounds, these nocturnal views showcase vibrant vegetation patterns and introduce danger in the form of a greedy boar who steals the turnips Hare is carrying. As the boar heads toward the rabbits’ carrot crop, Hare hatches a plan to foil the thief and save the day. The sight of the tip of the boar’s menacing snout pushed into the rabbit warren as the new friends cower together is a cinematic marvel. Hare’s transformation is believable, and although our hero’s selflessness results in an empty turnip patch, what the character gains more than compensates.
Giving has never been so gratifying. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781665972932
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A hilarious autumnal comedy of errors.
A confused squirrel overreacts to the falling autumn leaves.
Relaxing on a tree branch, Squirrel admires the red, gold, and orange leaves. Suddenly Squirrel screams, “One of my leaves is…MISSING!” Searching for the leaf, Squirrel tells Bird, “Someone stole my leaf!” Spying Mouse sailing in a leaf boat, Squirrel asks if Mouse stole the leaf. Mouse calmly replies in the negative. Bird reminds Squirrel it’s “perfectly normal to lose a leaf or two at this time of year.” Next morning Squirrel panics again, shrieking, “MORE LEAVES HAVE BEEN STOLEN!” Noticing Woodpecker arranging colorful leaves, Squirrel queries, “Are those my leaves?” Woodpecker tells Squirrel, “No.” Again, Bird assures Squirrel that no one’s taking the leaves and that the same thing happened last year, then encourages Squirrel to relax. Too wired to relax despite some yoga and a bath, the next day Squirrel cries “DISASTER” at the sight of bare branches. Frantic now, Squirrel becomes suspicious upon discovering Bird decorating with multicolored leaves. Is Bird the culprit? In response, Bird shows Squirrel the real Leaf Thief: the wind. Squirrel’s wildly dramatic, misguided, and hyperpossessive reaction to a routine seasonal event becomes a rib-tickling farce through clever use of varying type sizes and weights emphasizing his absurd verbal pronouncements as well as exaggerated, comic facial expressions and body language. Bold colors, arresting perspectives, and intense close-ups enhance Squirrel’s histrionics. Endnotes explain the science behind the phenomenon.
A hilarious autumnal comedy of errors. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-7282-3520-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: June 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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