Brilliant watercolors bounce off the page in this charming romp through the seasons. Happy yellows, pinks, greens, and blues pop against bright white backgrounds as readers follow a little brown bunny’s life over a year. The bunny lives near a garden that, aside from a nuisance of an old cat, is portrayed as a miniature Eden. She gorges on the summer harvest, hops among the fall pumpkins, and finds a bunny friend to hibernate with in the winter. So’s (The White Swan Express, p. 1397, etc.) minimal style and delicate hand create a lush environment while picturing just enough for the reader to focus on. Delicate dabs of pink and brown make a bunny’s face that actually seems to twitch and nibble on the page as a few soft brushstrokes of red and green create a juicy strawberry patch. Shulman’s (Countdown to Spring, 2002, etc.) sweet, maternal, though somewhat unimaginative, language lets the artwork have the spotlight, while providing a comforting, well-paced narrative. The content never becomes weighed down with its seasonal curriculum and the compact trim size fits the story’s light mood. To lighten moods even more, in the garden during the following spring “the brown bunny returned. The gray bunny came too. And guess what came with them? Their three new little bunnies!” In an increasingly complicated world, the simple joy projected here goes down easy. (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: Jan. 14, 2003
ISBN: 0-375-82256-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2002
Likely to be popular with young Pete the Cat fans and parents seeking a gentle introduction to preschool.
The popular character enjoys storytime, painting, and a snack on the very first day of preschool.
The younger incarnation of Pete the Cat packs his backpack that he picked out from the store himself, gets a snack from his mom, and rides the school bus with his big brother, Bob (who isn’t much bigger than Pete, sizewise). At school, Pete meets his stylish teacher, Mrs. Lopez, and fellow feline classmates while keeping his signature cool. The day ends with Pete declaring: “Preschool is awesome! Pete loves everything!” James Dean’s big-eyed cats populate the simply drawn scenes that look as though they were painted in preschool-esque fashion with thick swaths of tempera. At a couple of moments (when he eats his banana and declares it tasty and when he sings along) his customarily expressionless face actually breaks into a smile. Kimberly Dean’s text is uninspired, but it’s in sync with the upbeat tone of the series. Pete’s preschool experience, while not particularly realistic, is a highly positive one; refreshingly, there is no trace of the separation anxiety or anxiousness found in many first-day-of-school books.
Likely to be popular with young Pete the Cat fans and parents seeking a gentle introduction to preschool. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: June 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-06243582-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: HarperFestival
Review Posted Online: July 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Minimal text yields maximum effect in this book of nonfiction for the very youngest children.
Children who have seen bunnies frolic in their backyards, scamper across the lawn of a park, or roam in fields in their imaginations will find Hurley’s latest charming and informative in equal measure.
Using the formula she established in Nest (2014), Hurley explores the worlds of rabbits—cottontails in particular. In this narrative, the one-word lines read as if they are instructions given by a mother to her kits. Each spread depicts a different scenario, each with its own tone and, in a couple of cases, tension. Matte colors applied digitally saturate the pages, most often in lush greens. As the members of a rabbit family emerge from their nest under a tree, they “hop,” “listen,” and “nibble.” In a stark white double-page spread, a hawk appears high above the family on the ground, making the rabbits "freeze." Danger appears again in the form of a fox. The word on this spread, "warn," will force youngsters to look closely to see the mother rabbit thumping her foot. If it’s too subtle, an author's note provides more information about this form of communication along with other details about habits and habitat. The rabbits "run," and the book ends on a satisfying note with a "snuggle" before "sleep."
Minimal text yields maximum effect in this book of nonfiction for the very youngest children. (Informational picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Jan. 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-3272-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 5, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2015
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