Despite the regrettably trendy-sounding title, Whybrow’s latest release is a sweetly wholesome tale. Given the moniker “Little Baby Not-Sure” by her father, the young rabbit Bella struggles with her propensity to worry. Overshadowed by her exuberant siblings, Bella takes a cautious approach to new experiences. When her father suggests an ice-skating outing, Bella is consumed by anxiety. Whybrow exhibits a keen understanding of a little one’s misgivings, as Bella nervously wonders what could go wrong. Bella’s father wisely suggests a series of confidence-building, play-centered activities to allay Bella’s concerns. Reeve’s illustrations, rendered in a medley of muted hues and softly blurred lines, further convey the winsome tenderness of the tale. Whybrow’s adept and compassionate approach to resolving Bella’s situation is bound to encourage fellow kindred spirits. Reluctant readers will take heart in Bella’s ultimate triumph. (Picture book. 3-8)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-8109-9416-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2007
An exuberant read-aloud extolling the glory of dance and snow days.
A nighttime snowfall leads to a joyful snow-day dance.
Stepping out into the hushed silence of a snow day, Sofia pulls on a mustard-yellow coat and smooshes a matching cap over her straight, black hair. The undisturbed snow becomes her blank canvas for an exuberant snow-day ballet full of sound and life as she “crinch crunches” and “slish slusssssssssssshes” on the empty soccer field. But her solitary dance comes to an abrupt end when the field is overtaken by a horde of neighborhood children. Amid the chaos, one tiny, brown-skinned child in pigtails and fairy wings sees Sofia’s crestfallen expression, which leads to willowy Sofia’s teaching the little one to be a snow dancer too. Together, the new friends execute an impromptu pas de deux that transitions into an energetic group snowball fight until it’s time to go home. The lyrical narrative plays with auditory dynamics from the soft beginning through the jubilant, shout-filled climax to the cozy, quiet ending. The painterly illustrations use strong shapes and swooping linework that echoes Sofia’s balletic dancing. Many pages depict multiple Sofias, creating an animationlike effect that evokes movement. Sofia’s yellow-clad figure standing out against the snowy white pages and the sounds she makes in the new snow create a dance-filled nod to Ezra Jack Keats’ classic The Snowy Day (1962). (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-17-inch double-page spreads viewed at 21.4% of actual size.)
An exuberant read-aloud extolling the glory of dance and snow days. (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: Nov. 10, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5420-9317-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Two Lions
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2020
An ideal introduction to this familiar waterfowl—readers will enjoy diving right in.
Mallard ducks catch the attention of an observant young narrator. Join in on her day’s travels to learn a lot about these quacking creatures.
Quacks appear in graduated type from large to small to begin this informational gem. The daily activities of a young girl propel the easy-flowing language full of ducky details. Perfectly placed additional facts in smaller and similar-in-tone text are included on each spread. These seamless complements serve to explain unfamiliar terms such as “preening,” “dabbling” and “upending.” While Davies’ text gently informs, Rubbino’s mixed-media illustrations, done in a subdued palette of watery greens, grays and browns, truly impress. Mama ducks, drakes and ducklings alike hold the focus as they nest, search for food, swim, splash and sleep. The loose and childlike pictures capture essential details: the “secret patch of blue on each wing” and the “cute little curl on their tails.” At the end of the day (and book), readers find “The bridge is quiet, and there’s just the sound of rushing water and the stillness of the night.” But the page turn reveals another morning of “ducks—just ducks, down on the river that flows through the town.”
An ideal introduction to this familiar waterfowl—readers will enjoy diving right in. (index, note) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7636-5936-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Feb. 4, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2012
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