Twee and inessential, at Christmas or any other time of year.
A young child narrates a year’s worth of attempts to sow fanciful trees by directing increasingly larger items into an ever widening hole in his backyard.
In January, the narrator drops their “best marble” into the narrow crevice, the bottom of which is hidden below the picture plane. In February readers learn, “Marble trees don’t grow overnight,” but “Maybe some candy will grow.” As seasons change, the hole widens—inextricably—and visual perspective shifts, with the child (and a deciduous tree on the other side of the hole) appearing ever tinier as the things tossed into it (a grand piano, a freight train, a rocket) grow more substantial. In November, the hole’s so big that the moon fits in. In December, the child lists the 11 previous no-show trees and looks “in a book to figure out what to do. The only thing that fits in a black hole is a star.” The kid catches a five-pointed one and drops it down. “I can’t wait to see my star tree.” The enormous star dominates the page, the walls of the hole pushed to the margins and the child and tree minuscule—and when readers open the vertical gatefold they’ll see a tall, star-topped Christmas tree, festooned with glowing moons, flashlights, marbles, candy, and all the other pitched items. Any intimation of cosmic transcendence is subverted by this earthbound, holiday-themed pièce de résistance—at once gimmicky and anticlimactic. The narrator is white.
Twee and inessential, at Christmas or any other time of year. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-8075-7855-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
Watching unlikely friends finally be as “happy as two someones can be” feels like being enveloped in your very own hug.
What to do when you’re a prickly animal hankering for a hug? Why, find another misfit animal also searching for an embrace!
Sweet but “tricky to hug” little Hedgehog is down in the dumps. Wandering the forest, Hedgehog begs different animals for hugs, but each rejects them. Readers will giggle at their panicked excuses—an evasive squirrel must suddenly count its three measly acorns; a magpie begins a drawn-out song—but will also be indignant on poor hedgehog’s behalf. Hedgehog has the appealingly pink-cheeked softness typical of Dunbar’s art, and the gentle watercolors are nonthreatening, though she also captures the animals’ genuine concern about being poked. A wise owl counsels the dejected hedgehog that while the prickles may frighten some, “there’s someone for everyone.” That’s when Hedgehog spots a similarly lonely tortoise, rejected due to its “very hard” shell but perfectly matched for a spiky new friend. They race toward each other until the glorious meeting, marked with swoony peach swirls and overjoyed grins. At this point, readers flip the book to hear the same gloomy tale from the tortoise’s perspective until it again culminates in that joyous hug, a book turn that’s made a pleasure with thick creamy paper and solid binding.
Watching unlikely friends finally be as “happy as two someones can be” feels like being enveloped in your very own hug. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-571-34875-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
This lost little dog will easily find a place in children’s hearts.
A terrifying adventure set against an icy backdrop turns into a heartwarming tale of one canine’s remarkable courage and resilience.
This sweet picture book recounts the amazing true tale of a dog discovered floating on an ice floe on the Vistula River off Poland in January 2010. No one knows where the animal comes from or how it has found itself in this predicament. Trapped it is, however, as it drifts 75 miles downriver for two days, defying rescue attempts. Finally, a scientific vessel, the R/V Baltica, spots the freezing, sodden, starving animal, and a crewman saves it, not without considerable difficulty. After recovering, the dog is nicknamed “Baltic,” and it remains aboard to become a beloved, valued crew member. The story is told simply and charmingly. The author’s use of the present tense gives the narrative immediacy, and with very brief sentences, some dialogue and questions posed to readers, Carnesi imbues the tale with a strong sense of drama that will captivate young listeners. Her ink-and-watercolor illustrations are child-appealing and effectively capture the dog’s desperation and eventual contentment. An author’s note with accompanying photographs places events in context and brings the story to a very satisfying conclusion.
This lost little dog will easily find a place in children’s hearts. (Informational picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Jan. 5, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-399-25666-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2011
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