All it takes is listening to someone else’s foolish arguing to put your own such behavior into perspective. Such is the story here in this tale of Cecil the young rabbit and his siblings Posey and Jake. They wake to a perfect day to plant their garden. All goes well until they realize they have only enough room for five rows of vegetables, but they have seeds for six different varieties. Which to leave out? They fail to reach a consensus; they can’t even choose two with which they can plant half a row each. The sun gets too hot and they abandon the garden idea for the moment. Cecil is disappointed and he shuffles off to visit some friends. And what does he discover? The mice fighting over which toys to put in their bathtub—they have to throw out the water since there isn’t any room left. And the moles fighting over what time it is, but since they are underground, and can’t tell time to boot, they are condemned to argue on and on. By the time Cecil gets home, he has devised a simple solution: make the garden one row bigger. Keller’s (Growing Like Me, p. 187, etc.) story is light on its feet—much like her artwork, with its fine lines and colors of spring—as if to suggest that by allowing a little oxygen to circulate around most problems, an answer can be found. And at this level, she’s right. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: March 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-06-029593-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2001
Kids will want to stick with this one.
Real friends hang together no matter what.
Bear and BFF Squirrel are thick as thieves, tight as a drum. Despite superficial differences, such as height, weight, and girth, and the fact that these differences wreak havoc on Squirrel’s belongings—not to mention launching Squirrel skyward while the pair are on a seesaw—Bear swears to follow Squirrel everywhere and to do everything together. That is, until Squirrel decides it’s time for the pair to split up; Squirrel needs to be alone. Being a good friend, Bear agrees, albeit reluctantly, and departs. At first, Squirrel savors the luxury of newfound freedom but then concedes, “I MISS BEAR !” Wouldn’t you know it? Squirrel hurriedly rushes back to beg Bear to reconsider their relationship; all their differences can be resolved. “We’re joined at the heart,” avers Squirrel, “AND I LOVE YOU / A LOT!” The premise of this bouncy rhyming tale isn’t original, but this telling is a sweet, lively charmer nonetheless, and the verses scan well. A story about friends’ unwavering loyalty is always welcome. Readers/listeners will appreciate the sticking-like-glue pairing of these seemingly vastly different pals, in itself commendable. The delightful, expressive illustrations are by turns comical and poignant, and lots of white space and minimal text on each page focuses attention on the protagonists. Occasionally, blue type is set on black backgrounds, heightening visual appeal.
Kids will want to stick with this one. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 5, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-61923-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Godwin Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A soothing, logical, and playful introduction to mindfulness for young listeners.
What can you do when things go wrong?
Two children contemplate different ways to calm themselves down in this straightforward introduction to breathing, relaxation, and mindfulness. The younger, White-presenting child follows suit when the older, brown-skinned child proposes imaginative calming techniques. They picture themselves as various animals (goldfish, elephants, dragons) and objects (pinwheels, dandelions, wind chimes, flowers), inhaling and exhaling, that make deep breathing and calming down concrete and easy to comprehend. Simplified, whimsical illustrations add a touch of humor and a wink to the 1970s while preventing the story from becoming cloying, as soft, gentle instructions help the characters (and listeners) to understand some of the mechanics behind how to intentionally breathe and decompress. While not necessarily something that children will pick up unless they are learning about practicing mindfulness, this informative title has charm and warmth and will give youngsters some ideas as to how to self-regulate and manage their feelings as they learn to be aware of their breathing. Endpapers feature a multiracial array of children’s faces expressing different emotions.
A soothing, logical, and playful introduction to mindfulness for young listeners. (author's note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 13, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-77164-637-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Greystone Kids
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
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