A cute story that imparts lessons for kids about friendship and family.
In Nat’s debut picture book, a young girl spends the day exploring and learning at the beach with her dad.
Jessie is very excited as she and her dad prepare to head out for the day. She puts on her favorite dress, a matching hat, and sandals and sets off with him on a walk to the beach. Once they arrive, she watches the waves, meets a little crab, and decides to build a sand castle for her new crustacean friend to live in. When she heads home, she reflects on what a great day she had. Overall, Nat offers a sweet tale that focuses on friendship and family. Jessie and her father are shown to have a good relationship as they hold hands and share thoughts while walking down the beach: “She pointed at the tides and said to her dad, ‘It’s like they are singing a song.’ ” He also personally introduces her to the crab on the beach by picking it up and putting it in her hand. Going to the beach is an exciting prospect for Jessie because it’s not only fun in itself, it also means spending quality time with her father. A beach trip is about exploration as well—Jessie is thrilled to see the baby crab in the sand and enjoys how it climbs up on her shoulder and tickles her. A sign of friendship from the creature inspires her to build a house for him as a kindness, and she’s rewarded for her efforts: “Jessie enjoyed looking at the baby crab settling in his new home.” With its easy vocabulary and repetition, this is a story that will be ideal for youngsters who are practicing their reading skills. The simple, brightly colored illustrations by Kumari effectively reflect what’s happening in the text, which will allow children to easily interpret any unfamiliar words.
A cute story that imparts lessons for kids about friendship and family.Pub Date: April 8, 2015
ISBN: 978-1478750895
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Outskirts Press Inc.
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
In her first children's book, Parton (the country music star) turns one of her songs into a saccharine tale about a girl who is so poor that her mama has to sew her a patchwork coat when the weather turns cold. (Joseph and his coat of many colors are mentioned but never explained.) Despite the girl's love for her coat, she is teased in school, which she counters by trying to explain to her classmates ``that one is only poor/if they choose to be.'' The logic here is as flawed as the grammar, and Sutton's illustrations, while competent, show a well-dressed, happy rural family who look anything but poor. The text is both clumsy and irrelevent (it ends with ``Through life I've remained happy/and good luck is on my side./I have everything that anyone/could ever want from life.'') An apparently autobiographical song that has a hard time standing on its own as a compelling children's story. (Picture book. All ages)
Pub Date: Sept. 30, 1994
ISBN: 0-06-023413-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1994
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
IN THE NEWS
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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
