A simple Christian kids’ book with a message about respecting all life.
In her very brief debut picture book, Maddock tells a story of two siblings who live by a lake, and their opportunity to help wildlife while learning an important lesson.
Many different kinds of creatures inhabit the lake near Beth and Paul’s house, including carp, which the two children find ugly. One spring, a small pond forms in a swampy area by a willow tree—an area that the children have avoided out of fear of getting stuck in the mud, and the fact that there might be creepy carp there. As the weather begins to warm up, the water in the little pond begins to grow shallow, and eventually it’s cut off from the rest of the lake. Beth and Paul discover a small group of carp caught in the pond, and even though they’re a little afraid of the fish, their father helps them hatch a plan to release them back into the lake. Soon, the rescue mission becomes a neighborhoodwide endeavor. Afterward, the children have a new appreciation for the creatures they once disliked. Maddock aptly closes the tale by quoting William Henry Monk’s hymn “All Things Bright and Beautiful.” The story is an allegory based on a true story, and as such, it’s simple and straightforward; for example, the illustration of Beth and Paul’s father appears similar to Western depictions of Jesus Christ, and he reminds the kids that even if they find the carp disgusting, they’re still God’s creatures and therefore deserving of respect. The involvement of the entire neighborhood in the rescue mission evokes the Christian focus on community and helping the less fortunate. The digital illustrations by Ouano are bright and cheerful, and his interpretations of wildlife are particularly well-rendered. Although the sweet story’s competent prose makes it easy to follow, it’s a bit short, and the action moves along at a somewhat disjointed pace. Overall, this book is appropriate for very young children who enjoy the outdoors and whose parents would like to enhance their moral teachings.
A simple Christian kids’ book with a message about respecting all life.Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4866-0508-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Word Alive Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
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