An engaging family snapshot that will spur readers to look for further installments.
A troublemaking pooch describes his family life in this debut picture book.
Told in first-person diary format, Thor, an incorrigible French bulldog, writes down details about his family. “My mommy Dania is the boss of the house,” Thor asserts, confessing that though his lawyer mother likes the house spotless when she leaves for work, he’s usually the one who later creates a mess. Mommy Eva, a brain surgeon, lets Thor get away with mischief, in part because her shifts at the hospital keep her away for days at a time. Toddler Elijah hasn’t quite hit the developmental milestones Thor thinks a puppy his age should have. And Thor is annoyed by Frigga the cat. Their color and size are so similar that people mistake poor Thor for a feline. Thor’s feelings that he’s misunderstood and underappreciated by the world come through clearly in Yessoufou’s clever, put-upon monologue, and her accessible vocabulary invites newly independent readers to feel at home in the neighborhood. The author effectively presents an underrepresented family group: two mothers of mixed ethnicity, both of whom have high-powered careers. In this series opener, debut illustrator Molina’s manga-style linework is made more painterly through her shading, particularly in portraits of Thor. The canine’s sweetly innocent face goes a long way toward encouraging readers to forgive his misbehavior.
An engaging family snapshot that will spur readers to look for further installments.Pub Date: Nov. 23, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-228-80562-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Tellwell Talent
Review Posted Online: Oct. 4, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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