While the topic may seem a bit mature or daunting for very young readers, the story has such quirky sparkle that even if...
Using the metaphor of a boat on a journey, this second-person story celebrates the richness and possibility of living.
A little boat (“You are a boat”) sets off on its journey. Inside its “belly-rooms” are its quirky inhabitants—personifications of the feelings, sensations, and potentials found in us all. There is (among others) the Chef, a white person in a toque who cooks up “sweet doughy smell[s],” the Big Brass Band who plays a “doot-doot tune,” Daniel, a boy who appears to be Asian and sings “lee lee lee doo,” and a gadget-loving Octopus. And what happens when they don’t get along? Well, the little boat crashes—shown in an effective wordless spread. But remember, author/illustrator Kwan tells readers in his second-person narration, “you are strong, and piece by crooked piece you are made.” The little boat is repaired by its inhabitants and continues: “You are crooked but you are strong. / You are a boat. / Ahoy, Ahoy!” This poignant yet lighthearted affirmation asserts the uniqueness of each individual and reassures readers that while life is complex, sometimes messy, and even occasionally catastrophic, it is all part of the journey.
While the topic may seem a bit mature or daunting for very young readers, the story has such quirky sparkle that even if readers don’t quite get its meaning, they will be delighted with its sense of playfulness. (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: July 4, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-544-71533-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: April 17, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2017
Sure to have little ones giggling.
Jacques is a hedgehog with a big secret: “I wear real, bona fide underwear.”
Our narrator received a mysterious package one day; an illustration shows a pair of underwear tied to a balloon with a note “from the Universe” floating down into Jacques’ burrow. Hedgehogs don’t wear underwear, however. Will Jacques be shunned? Jacques worries but comes to a decision: “I have to wear them. When I do I feel special.” Determined, Jacques, who’s been invited to a party, makes a dramatic entrance, with undies in hand. Jacques’ declaration (“I WEAR UNDERWEAR”) is met with remarks of dismay, before another hedgehog opens up about similar fears and shows off a pair of cowboy boots. More hedgehogs introduce themselves with their own confessions. The story ends with Jacques unveiling a painting of the underwear in a gallery filled with hedgehogs wearing all sorts of attire. Though the book is simple in plot, characters, and setting, it wins in its balance of bathroom humor, dramatic storytelling, and celebrations of individual expression. French words are peppered throughout, adding to the fun without detracting from the story for those unfamiliar with the language. The cartoonish illustrations brim with fun; Valdez relies heavily on geometric shapes (triangle noses for the hedgehogs; huge circles for their eyes). Details such as speech bubbles and recurring turtle and snake characters contribute to the outlandish humor.
Sure to have little ones giggling. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781250814388
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
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While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
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)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
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