A rainy, dull day for this preschooler inspires imaginative play with her very own elf creation made from paper and crayons, complete with “pointy ears and fluffy hair” / wearing polka dots . . . and stars . . . and a rainbow . . . and curly-toed shoes . . . and a pointy hat with a feather!” “No feather!” roars her elf, as he comes to life and gives Nell an idea for a party. Grabbing chocolate chips and inviting more elf guests, creations artistically made with crayon and paper, the rainy day is filled with dancing, singing and chocolate-chip eating “right out of the bag!” Soft drawings reminiscent of earlier 20th-century artwork in pastels, colored pencil and gouache delineate this little girl’s sweet innocence and self-assurance balanced against the bright, peppy imaginary friend she has invented to make a boring day fun and playful. Simply whimsical, yet completely plausible for little ones with fanciful thoughts. (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: April 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-7636-2391-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2006
This endearing fairy-tale retelling will bring joy to literary-themed storytimes.
Rather than walking through the forest with delicious pastries for grandma, this Little Red is a poet with endless rhymes.
In this fractured retelling of “Little Red Riding Hood,” a little girl with light-brown skin and long, black hair is bullied for speaking exclusively in rhyme: “Want to ride the swings with me? / Race our bikes or climb a tree?” The other children find this strange, especially Big Brad Wolf, a light-skinned, chinless boy with blue eyes and a shock of brown hair who takes to teasing the girl known as Little Red Rhyming Hood. She puts on a brave face with lines like: “You don’t bother me, Big Brad / Nasty words won’t make me sad.” In reality, she is affected by his bullying. When Big Brad scares the rhyme right out of Little Red and into him, the two must find a way to work together to write a poem for Little Red’s poetry contest. In Bouloubasis’ bold and bright illustrations, the stylized characters come to life, especially Little Red with her charming personality and tough exterior. This refreshing take on a classic fairy tale touches lightly on the subject of bullying; even though Brad’s quick reformation into a poet seems too good to be true, this is an enjoyable picture book nonetheless.
This endearing fairy-tale retelling will bring joy to literary-themed storytimes. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-8075-4597-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
A particularly soppy, sloppy addition to an already-overstuffed genre.
A bear cub gets a load of lyrical loving from a lumbering parent in this nature walk.
Expressed in stumbling rhyme—“I love you more than trees / love to change with every season. / I love you more than anything. / I cannot name just one reason”—Benson’s perfervid sentiments accompany scenes of bear and cub strolling through stands of birch, splashing into a river to watch (just watch) fish, and, in a final moonlit scene, cuddling beneath starry skies. Foxes, otters, and other animal parents and offspring, likewise adoring, make foreground cameos along the way in Lambert’s neatly composed paper-collage–style illustrations. Since the bears are obvious stand-ins for humans (the cub even points at things and in most views is posed on two legs), the gender ambiguity in both writing and art allow human readers some latitude in drawing personal connections, but that’s not enough to distinguish this uninspired effort among the teeming swarm of “I Love You This Much!” titles.
A particularly soppy, sloppy addition to an already-overstuffed genre. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: March 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-68010-022-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2016
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