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
An upbeat Easter outing with a beloved character.
Pookie celebrates Easter with a play date and holiday activities.
Pookie’s friend Bean, a gray puppy, comes over for Easter fun that includes lots of bouncing around and egg decorating. After Bean goes home, Pookie gets excited about the Easter Bunny’s arrival and goes to sleep dreaming of a large chocolate egg. Like the other Pookie books before it, this one is told in rhyme from the perspective of a loving grown-up addressing the little pig, which keeps the pace moving and makes for a great read-aloud. Bean and Pookie are realistically—and endearingly—childlike, from Pookie’s pronunciation of yellow as “lellow!” to the joyful mess they make while decorating eggs. There are plenty of sweet and festive touches, such as the bunny ears that Bean and Pookie (and Pookie’s teddy) wear and the daffodils painted on the end of Pookie’s bed. The illustrations include large, full-page images as well as smaller vignettes against solid backgrounds. One page shows Pookie and parent looking out the window at the moon, anticipating Easter’s spoils. For fans of Boynton and little Pookie, this Easter tale is exactly as expected: a touch of playfulness, a relatable story, and comfort in the familiar. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An upbeat Easter outing with a beloved character. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-66592-838-0
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Boynton Bookworks
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2022
A rudimentary introduction, with licensed characters that are just along for the ride.
For one special month, George accompanies a young friend through fasts, feasts, and good works at the mosque.
Such headers as “Waiting for Sunset” and “Sharing with Others,” along with glimpses of stars and crescents in the background and a “Ramadan Mubarak” banner, offer oblique references to some basic themes and symbols, but Ramadan’s purpose, many of its practices, and even the word “Muslim” go unmentioned in this tabbed board book. Khan’s rhyme lumbers along (“George can’t wait for tomorrow, / When the month of Ramadan will start. / It’s a special time of year for his friends, / And George is going to take part!”). Meanwhile, Young plugs George and the Man in the Yellow Hat into scenes with Kareem, his father, and his hijab-wearing mother. (Kareem and his dad appear to be black; his mother is lighter-skinned.) They make cookies, gather with friends at sunset to break their daily fast and pray (offstage), then enjoy “Kabobs, curry, veggies, and rice” with chocolate-dipped bananas for dessert. At the mosque, George helps Kareem make food baskets and tries to pass out the racked shoes until an imam gently stops him. Finally, beneath a thin crescent moon at month’s end, George gets a new vest (and the Man a yellow fez) for the celebration of Eid.
A rudimentary introduction, with licensed characters that are just along for the ride. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: May 3, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-65226-2
Page Count: 14
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
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