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ONE AFTERNOON

Name: ONE AFTERNOON
Author: Hsin-Yu Sun
ISBN: 978-1-4788-7029-6

by Hsin-Yu Sun ; illustrated by Hsin-Yu Sun ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 6, 2020

A visually delightful wordless (and nearly plotless) afternoon in a fascinating city.

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A child rides a bicycle through the neighborhoods of Taipei while a dog spends the afternoon at home, waiting.

Each page of this thoughtful book portrays a wordless snapshot in split screen: The top features a child on a bicycle in a big city, riding past neighborhood shops, a subway station, high rises, and gatherings of people. Meanwhile, the bottom strip features an eager little terrier in a room with a window, outside of which city life passes by. The city is mostly colorless, rendered in delicate line drawings full of charming details, drawing readers’ attention to select objects in color: the red-capped, yellow-jacketed child on the bicycle, a small orange ball, and, closer to home, other children and neighbors. The dog’s day is in color throughout, and when the child arrives home for a joyous reunion, the two panels merge, blooming into full color spreads as they end their afternoon together. Though there is not much plot, and some scenes require closer inspection to parse the situation (one image depicts people sitting at a barbed wire gate, behind which stand what look like police in riot gear), the pages are still a visual delight. The details of the shops and buildings are a tribute to the many faces of a big city while everyone can identify with the dog’s lonely afternoon at home. (This book was reviewed digitally with 7.5-by-19.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 52.4% of actual size.)

A visually delightful wordless (and nearly plotless) afternoon in a fascinating city. (Picture book. 3-8)

Pub Date: Nov. 6, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-4788-7029-6

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Reycraft Books

Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2020

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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ADDIE ANT GOES ON AN ADVENTURE

by Maren Morris & Karina Argow ; illustrated by Kelly Anne Dalton ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 9, 2024

Young readers will be “antsy” to join the hero on her satisfying escapade.

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An ant explores her world.

Addie Ant’s ready for adventure. Despite some trepidation about leaving the Tomato Bed, where she lives with her aunt, she plucks up her courage and ventures forth across the garden to the far side of the shed. On her journey, she meets her pal Lewis Ladybug, who greets her warmly, points the way, and offers sage advice. When Addie arrives at her destination, she’s welcomed by lovely Beatrix Butterfly and enjoys an “ant-tastic” helping of watermelon. Beatrix also provides Addie with take-home treats and a map for the “Cricket Express,” which will take her straight home. Arriving at the terminal, Addie’s delighted to meet another friend, Cleo Cricket, whose carriage service returns Addie home in “two hops.” After eating a warm tomato soup dinner, Addie falls asleep and dreams of future exploits. Adorable though not terribly original, this story brims with sensuous pleasures, both textual and visual. Kids who declare that they dislike fruits or veggies may find their mouths watering at the mentions and sights of luscious tomatoes, peas, beans, watermelons, berries, and other foodstuffs; insect-averse readers may likewise think differently after encountering these convivial, wide-eyed characters. And those flowers and herbs everywhere! The highlights are the colors that burst from the pages. Addie’s an endearing, empowering character who reassures children they’ll be able to take those first independent steps successfully.

Young readers will be “antsy” to join the hero on her satisfying escapade. (author’s note about ants) (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: April 9, 2024

ISBN: 9781797228914

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)