A sweet-natured, science-themed book that would have benefited from a stronger edit.
A lonely spider goes for a walk and learns characteristics of insects and mammals in this first picture book of a planned series.
The “Itsy-Bitsy” spider of nursery-rhyme fame is lonely, now that the rain has gone away, so he takes a stroll. He meets six-legged insect Ms. Fly; amphibious Willy, a salamander; and Goldilocks and the three bears, who note that they’re “called MAMMALS because of our fur.” Debut author Douglas’ text offers visual interest with letters that are small and tall, fine-lined and fat, light and bold. Simmons’ full-page watercolor illustrations and rhyming text also have a gentle appeal. The narrative, however, is undermined by a grammatical error: “Itsy met a salamander named Willy, / Who offered him a coat because it was chilly.” Clearly, the author meant to say that Itsy-Bitsy offers the coat, not Willy—because Willy then turns the coat down. The book also leaves the impression that elements are missing. On one page, for instance, Itsy-Bitsy and Willy head toward a noise; on the next, Willy has disappeared. The “noise” is an auction—a term that’s not explained. Nor is there any context for Itsy-Bitsy’s “bid” of “Eight mismatched socks,” although the illustration of the sock-wearing spider is adorable.
A sweet-natured, science-themed book that would have benefited from a stronger edit.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 978-1-5255-3191-0
Page Count: 20
Publisher: FriesenPress
Review Posted Online: Oct. 31, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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