This quiet book is likely to be enchanting for those with patience and imagination.
From Germany, a small book with simple stories about friendship, seasons, and family.
Sun and Shiro are good friends. Sun is a boy with curly brown hair and pale skin. Shiro is a white dog with a white-tipped brown tail. In summer, they explore the house and garden, discovering insects and animals, flying homemade kites, and watching the moon at night. In the fall, they run through fields of acorns and go on leaf hunts. They especially love apples of all kinds. But they aren’t the only ones; geese, a pig, and a maggot each take their share, along with a polka-dot snake, who eats so much he becomes stuck in an apple and needs Sun to set him free. These stories, contained within one long narrative, demonstrate how friends help one another and do things together. The weighty text tends to tell rather than show, using little dialogue and instead declaring insights in the narrative. This is disappointing, especially when compared to the simple yet charming illustrations that place small, brightly colored items against white backgrounds for high contrast. The mixed-media illustrations seem to use textured papers or felt, which lend form and weight to the objects. Moreover, the design of the book leaves lots of white space around the objects, emphasizing their importance and central placement on each spread.
This quiet book is likely to be enchanting for those with patience and imagination. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 28, 2021
ISBN: 978-3-96704-709-7
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Little Gestalten
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle...
Making things is difficult work. Readers will recognize the stages of this young heroine’s experience as she struggles to realize her vision.
First comes anticipation. The artist/engineer is spotted jauntily pulling a wagonload of junkyard treasures. Accompanied by her trusty canine companion, she begins drawing plans and building an assemblage. The narration has a breezy tone: “[S]he makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!” The colorful caricatures and creations contrast with the digital black outlines on a white background that depict an urban neighborhood. Intermittent blue-gray panels break up the white expanses on selected pages showing sequential actions. When the first piece doesn’t turn out as desired, the protagonist tries again, hoping to achieve magnificence. A model of persistence, she tries many adjustments; the vocabulary alone offers constructive behaviors: she “tinkers,” “wrenches,” “fiddles,” “examines,” “stares” and “tweaks.” Such hard work, however, combines with disappointing results, eventually leading to frustration, anger and injury. Explosive emotions are followed by defeat, portrayed with a small font and scaled-down figures. When the dog, whose expressions have humorously mirrored his owner’s through each phase, retrieves his leash, the resulting stroll serves them well. A fresh perspective brings renewed enthusiasm and—spoiler alert—a most magnificent scooter sidecar for a loyal assistant.
Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle characterization for maximum delight. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-55453-704-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Unusual illustrations enhance an engaging, informative narrative.
What can a worm do?
A little worm sets off on a “twirl” to “see the world.” But when it overhears a human referring to it as “just a worm,” its feelings are hurt. The worm asks other critters—including a caterpillar, a spider, a dragonfly—what they can do. After each answer (turn into a butterfly, spin silk thread, fly), the worm becomes more and more dejected because it can’t do any of these things. “Maybe I am just a worm.” But then the worm encounters a ladybug, who eats aphids and other insects, and the worm realizes that it eats dead plants and animals and keeps gardens clean. And though the worm can’t pollinate like the bee, it does create castings (poop) that help plants grow and stay healthy. These abilities, the worm realizes in triumph, are important! The cleverness of this story lies in its lighthearted, effective dissemination of information about various insects as well as earthworms. It doesn’t hurt that the expressive little worm is downright adorable, with emotions that will resonate with anyone who has felt unimportant. The stunning illustrations are done in quilled paper—a centuries-old technique that involves assembling strips of colored paper into shapes—which adds sparkle and originality. A tutorial of how to make a quilled butterfly and a page on earthworm facts round out the book. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Unusual illustrations enhance an engaging, informative narrative. (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 14, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-06-321256-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
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