These sweet sibs show no signs of growing old—thank goodness.
Gently bickering mouse siblings Benny and Penny have another backyard adventure, this time when they search for Benny’s lost pirate hat.
As the book opens, Benny is in a real funk—“a BAD mood!” His pirate hat is lost again, this time for two days. Mommy says he needs to stay outside until his good mood is restored. Equal parts helpful and hindering, Penny tags along on his quest, the fog-enshrouded backyard presenting a landscape it’s all too easy to imagine getting lost in. Over the course of this brief, comic-book story, the children explore a number of valences of lost and found. Benny loses Penny when she darts into the underbrush, having found her lost jump rope. He instructs her, “we need to be lost together.” When Penny frets that they are “REALLY lost,” Benny insists they aren’t: “We are right here.” Hayes also takes the opportunity to explore preschoolers’ mercurial emotions. The sibs are effective emotional foils for each other, Penny’s buoyant cheer grating on Benny’s determined dudgeon before she becomes anxious, then angry, then sad and frightened. Benny’s brave decision to be in a good mood marks a literal turning point, bringing the little lost mice home again. Hayes’ colored-pencil panels keep their sunny charm even in the fog.
These sweet sibs show no signs of growing old—thank goodness. (Graphic early reader. 5-8)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-935179-64-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: TOON/Candlewick
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A celebration of letters that gently gives young readers the knowledge and tools to share the love.
Hugs are for everyone anytime they need a little extra love, but how can you hug a person who lives far away?
Talking on the phone or via computer isn’t enough, but luckily Artie shares a way to send a hug—by writing a letter. Infused with the love a hug carries, these step-by-step instructions begin with finding the right writing implement and paper and taking plenty of time for this important task. The story then follows the letter’s journey from the mail drop through a variety of possible transports (“by two legs and four legs, by four wheels and two wheels”) to the magic of delivery and the even greater joy of getting a reply. Readers as lucky as Artie will receive a return letter that carries the scent of its writer, like Grandma Gertie’s missive, filled with rose petals. Fun wording, like putting the letter in a “special jacket to keep it safe and warm” (an envelope), sticking “a ticket” on the envelope “in just the right spot” (a stamp), and the letter being picked up by a “Hug Delivery Specialist” (postal worker), adds humor, as does Artie’s ever present pet duck. Artie and Grandma Gertie present White; the postal workers and the other people depicted receiving letters throughout are racially and geographically diverse. The realistic illustrations in pencil, watercolor, and digital color expand the story and add a layer of love and humor. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A celebration of letters that gently gives young readers the knowledge and tools to share the love. (author’s note) (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Nov. 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-316-30692-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2022
A sweet tale that is both culturally specific and universal.
A girl’s place is on shore in Nina’s fishing village in the Philippines, but today will be different.
Brown-skinned Nina convinces old Lolo to let her join him for a day of serious fishing, although she has been told “a boat is not the place for a girl.” She must promise to bait her own hook and take responsibility for handling any fish she might catch. The other fishermen scoff and jeer, but Lolo remains firm in his decision. As the day progresses Nina has not caught a single fish, while Lolo’s buckets are filling up. Finally, she gets a bite, a large fish that fights her violently. Lolo insists that Nina must bring it in herself “hand over hand,” assuring and encouraging her. They arrive home with the fish to the amazement and chagrin of the other fishermen. Fullerton presents a vignette of traditional Filipino culture with a modern twist. Sounds of the sea and the boat’s movements, repetition of the title phrase, sharp descriptive phrases, and simple dialogue, all in a gentle, unhurried third-person narrative, lovingly evoke the setting and the tender intergenerational relationship. Benoit’s watercolor illustrations beautifully capture the look of the islands with color and softly defined details. Love between Nina and old Lolo shines in their body language and expressions.
A sweet tale that is both culturally specific and universal. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 4, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-77260-015-5
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Second Story Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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