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WAKING BEN DOLDRUMS

Name: WAKING BEN DOLDRUMS
Author: Heather Smith
ISBN: 9781459833913

by Heather Smith ; illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 14, 2023

A sensitive and socially conscious take on mental health.

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A neighbor feels down.

There are four apartments in the big house. Narrator Frida Bellows and their father live in the bottom left one. Ben Doldrums, a single university student, lives above them. Each morning, the Bellowses’ parrot wakes them. They tap on their ceiling to wake Ben, who gets up to rap on the wall to the family next door; they in turn knock on their floor to wake the two women in the final apartment. They are all part of “something big.” One day, Frida doesn’t hear Ben’s footsteps, so after waking the neighbors, the child checks on Ben, who’s still lying in bed, not knowing exactly how he feels. The tenants each try to cheer Ben up in their own way, but nothing works. Finally, Frida gives Ben an old broom handle so he can tap on the wall without getting out of bed, if he needs to. The system works. Smith creates a microcosmic metaphor for supporting someone with depression. It doesn’t matter why Ben is feeling down; what’s important is that he receives support so that he can then perform his regular duties with slight modifications. It’s a very social-focused lens. Eggenschwiler’s clean, smooth illustrations play with perspectives and with the cross sections of the apartment building. The Bellowses and Ben are light-skinned; the other neighbors are racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A sensitive and socially conscious take on mental health. (Picture book. 5-8)

Pub Date: March 14, 2023

ISBN: 9781459833913

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Orca

Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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SOPHIE SHARES THE STARS
by Heather Smith ; illustrated by Catherine Petit

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TIG
by Heather Smith

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THE BOY, THE CLOUD AND THE VERY TALL TALE
by Heather Smith

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CLAYMATES

by Dev Petty ; illustrated by Lauren Eldridge ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 20, 2017

The dynamic interaction between the characters invites readers to take risks, push boundaries, and have a little unscripted...

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Reinvention is the name of the game for two blobs of clay.

A blue-eyed gray blob and a brown-eyed brown blob sit side by side, unsure as to what’s going to happen next. The gray anticipates an adventure, while the brown appears apprehensive. A pair of hands descends, and soon, amid a flurry of squishing and prodding and poking and sculpting, a handsome gray wolf and a stately brown owl emerge. The hands disappear, leaving the friends to their own devices. The owl is pleased, but the wolf convinces it that the best is yet to come. An ear pulled here and an extra eye placed there, and before you can shake a carving stick, a spurt of frenetic self-exploration—expressed as a tangled black scribble—reveals a succession of smug hybrid beasts. After all, the opportunity to become a “pig-e-phant” doesn’t come around every day. But the sound of approaching footsteps panics the pair of Picassos. How are they going to “fix [them]selves” on time? Soon a hippopotamus and peacock are staring bug-eyed at a returning pair of astonished hands. The creative naiveté of the “clay mates” is perfectly captured by Petty’s feisty, spot-on dialogue: “This was your idea…and it was a BAD one.” Eldridge’s endearing sculpted images are photographed against the stark white background of an artist’s work table to great effect.

The dynamic interaction between the characters invites readers to take risks, push boundaries, and have a little unscripted fun of their own . (Picture book. 5-8)

Pub Date: June 20, 2017

ISBN: 978-0-316-30311-8

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: March 28, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2017

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
ELMORE AND THE BIG CHRISTMAS RESCUE
by Dev Petty ; illustrated by Mike Boldt

- BOOK REVIEW
DON'T LOSE MR. CUDDLES
by Dev Petty ; illustrated by Mike Boldt

- BOOK REVIEW
MONTY AND THE MUSHROOMS
by Dev Petty ; illustrated by Jared Chapman

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HELLO, SUN!

by Lala Watkins ; illustrated by Lala Watkins ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 7, 2025

Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader!

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Fun with friends makes for a great day.

Norbit, a salmon-colored worm with a pink kerchief, joyfully greets the day and everyone he encounters. “Hello, friends! It’s time for fun with the sun! Let’s play!” He and his menagerie of forest pals—including the sun, who grows limbs and descends from the sky—exuberantly engage in various forms of physical activity such as jumping, going down a slide, spinning around, and watching the clouds go by. Young readers will readily relate, as these are games that most children are familiar with. As day turns to night, Norbit says farewell to Sun and welcomes Moon with an invitation to continue the fun. Watkins has created a vivid world of movement and merriment. Her illustrations feature bright bursts of color that match the energy of the text, with most sentences ending in an exclamation point. The author/illustrator incorporates many elements that make for an ideal early-reading experience (despite the use of a contraction or two): art free from clutter, text consisting of words with only one or two syllables, and repetition and recurring bits, such as a continued game of hide-and-seek with Sun. Inspired by never-before-seen sketches from the Dr. Seuss Collection archives at the University of California San Diego, this is the first title for Seuss Studios, a new imprint for original stories from “emerging authors and illustrators” who “honor Seuss’s hallmark spirit of creativity and imagination.”

Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader! (author's note) (Early reader. 5-8)