by Jane Chapman ; illustrated by Jane Chapman ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2015
A fully rounded, easily associative, and visually inviting story.
As everybody knows, a bigfoot likes his privacy, even if he is built to cuddle: snuggly, soft, and silky (at least those bigfeet like Barry, who evidently knows about bathing).
Chapman’s Sasquatch-esque creature Barry is a furry behemoth who attracts a large woodland following: squirrels, mice, badgers, rabbits, beavers, even owls, and a turtle, who come for a cuddle and “snuggle-buggle.” But Barry, though accommodating, sometimes feels overwhelmed: “I just want to be alone,” he mumbles to himself, careful not to offend. A sudden brainstorm suggests itself: a stand-in. After a ladybug, a porcupine, and a skunk are found wanting, Barry hires Bear. When Bear is presented to the cuddling horde, they rush at him—then past him, straight at Barry, who promptly gets bowled over and lands in the swamp. It’s amazing what the properties of swamp water will do to the qualities of cuddliness. In its clarity and good humor, Chapman’s story jells, and the whole cast are sympathetic souls. Who doesn’t like to cuddle? Who doesn’t like a little tranquility now and then? The artwork is snug, too, from the endpapers to the interior, featuring pages saturated with Easter-egg color, as well as others that highlight a bold image settled on a field of white.
A fully rounded, easily associative, and visually inviting story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1848691476
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: April 28, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2015
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by Laurie Berkner ; illustrated by Camille Garoche ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 7, 2017
For Berkner’s fans; there are much better books about children visiting imaginative lands.
Berkner’s children’s song gets the picture-book treatment with illustrations from Garoche.
What kid hasn’t made a massive pillow fort and imagined all sorts of adventures? Well, Berkner’s premise is that there is a land where everything is made of pillows, and three lucky children get to visit there. (They appear to be siblings, perhaps a blended family: Mom and one girl are black; Dad, one boy, and one girl are white.) The illustrations transition between depictions of obvious imaginative play in a bedroom to a fantasy world and back again at the end, when the parents peek in at the three asleep. Garoche’s art consists of photos of papercut artwork arranged in dioramas with some Photoshop details. Reminiscent of Michael Garland’s work (though more pastel in color) or that of Elly McKay (though less ethereal), the illustrations are a mixed bag, with layers and hard edges juxtaposed against all the pillows. The king and queen of the song are obviously stand-ins for the parents. Children who know the tune may not sit still for a reading, while those who don’t may wonder at the repeated refrain.
For Berkner’s fans; there are much better books about children visiting imaginative lands. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-6467-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2017
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by Eric Carle ; illustrated by Eric Carle ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 13, 2015
A picture book made to incite pleasure and joy.
The celebrated picture-book artist enthusiastically joins the nonsense tradition.
Carle’s nearly 50-year career has produced myriad concept books about counting, the alphabet, and colors, as well as simple, original stories, retellings of fairy tales, and picture books that push the physical boundaries of the form. This latest proves that Carle can reinvent himself as a creator in the field, as he now revels in the absurd, eschewing any pretense of teaching a concept or even engaging with story. Instead, spread after spread uses nonsensical text and sublimely ridiculous pictures to provoke laughter and head-shaking delight. In addition to the book’s title, art immediately cues the book’s silly tone: the cover displays one of Carle’s signature collages against an empty white background; it depicts a duckling emerging from a peeled-back banana peel. The title-page art presents a deer sprouting flowers rather than antlers from its head. When the book proper begins, and language joins illustration, readers are ushered into a series of situations and scenarios that upend expectations and play with conventions. “Ouch! Who’s that in my pouch?” asks a kangaroo with a little blond child instead of a joey in her pouch. Another scene shows two snakes, joined at the middle and looking for their respective tails.
A picture book made to incite pleasure and joy. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-399-17687-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2015
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