Old Bear teaches his fellow toys (and young readers, too) a worthy lesson about the benefits of teamwork. It’s an arts and crafts kind of day for the bear and his entourage as Old Bear’s painting of Little Bear inspires everyone to try his hand at the easel. The dilemma arises when there is only one picture frame remaining and the group refuses to paint together. Each toy decides to paint its own patterned picture. Hissey’s (Hoot, 1997, etc.) amiable crew has a marvelously messy time creating, with great sploshes and splashes of paint everywhere. Yet when the paintings turn out more erratic than intended, everyone seems destined for disappointment until Old Bear’s clever idea saves the day. A collage made from pieces of each painting creates a picture they can all admire. Hissey delivers her gentle moral in a manner easily accessible to preschooler readers, who observe that cooperation is often the key to splendid success. Her illustrations of the beloved stuffed animals are amazingly authentic; images layered upon each other add dimension to the pictures while the vivid hues capture little ones’ attention. Fans old and new will delight in the return of the pals. (Picture book. 3-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-399-23709-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2001
A book that will make young dog-owners smile in recognition and confirm dogless readers' worst suspicions about the mayhem caused by pets, even winsome ones. Sam, who bears passing resemblance to an affable golden retriever, is praised for fetching the family newspaper, and goes on to fetch every other newspaper on the block. In the next story, only the children love Sam's swimming; he is yelled at by lifeguards and fishermen alike when he splashes through every watering hole he can find. Finally, there is woe to the entire family when Sam is bored and lonely for one long night. Boland has an essential message, captured in both both story and illustrations of this Easy-to-Read: Kids and dogs belong together, especially when it's a fun-loving canine like Sam. An appealing tale. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-8037-1530-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1996
This should send Dark Knight fans flying to the Batcave—or the bedroom.
Holy bedtime, Batman!
In a sleepy-looking neighborhood under a dusky cerulean sky, a young, brown-haired, white boy goes through the motions of getting ready for bed: he brushes his teeth, takes a bath, picks up his toys, and feeds his fish. In a parallel visual narrative, beckoned by the cat's-eye–yellow bat-signal, Batman keeps Gotham safe for another night by catching crooks, locking them away, and avenging those who have been wronged. Though the two characters are quite different, through a carefully flexible narrative, Dahl and Beavers weave a convincing tale of just how similar they might be. “It’s time to take care of business” describes the child’s trip to the potty and Batman’s dive down a manhole equally well, for instance. Beavers' art is visually striking and vibrantly hued, perfect for keeping young eyes glued to each page. Dahl's economical text is cadenced with a gentle lilt, just right for a bedtime read-aloud. Young fans of the caped crusader will delight in spying their favorite characters. In the already-overstuffed bedtime-book market, this is certainly a niche read, but it hits its mark well, delivering fun without darkness. A “bedtime checklist” at the end aptly includes “story time.”
This should send Dark Knight fans flying to the Batcave—or the bedroom. (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-62370-732-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
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