A sweet example of how to be a kind and supportive presence in the life of a struggling friend.
A hurting child regains his joy with the help of compassionate friends.
The story is told from the perspective of a dark-haired, tan-skinned boy who is the best friend of David, the titular pale-skinned boy with a mass of colorful blooms decorating his hair. Both David and his unnamed companion are part of a happy, bustling classroom that includes children with various hair textures and skin tones. No one bats an eye at David’s unusual coif, not even when it attracts bees or is hilariously inhabited by a family of birds. “But one day, something happened,” an allusion to an unspecified trauma. Once upbeat and talkative, David grows quiet, uninterested in play, and the flowers fall out of his hair. He starts wearing a hat to cover his “twiggy, spiky, and brittle” head. At first, David’s classmates are unnerved by the change and avoid him. But when his best buddy stays by his side and begins crafting painted paper flowers for David’s hair, the other children quickly join in. Slowly, David’s spark returns, and eventually his original blossoms do, too. His best friend keeps a box of the paper flowers “in case he ever needs them, because he's my best friend, and I am his.” Accompanied by beautiful, uncluttered digital images against lots of white space, Jarvis’ simple, gentle story gives adults room to explain David’s hardship to young readers in their own ways. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A sweet example of how to be a kind and supportive presence in the life of a struggling friend. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 26, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5362-2522-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2022
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle...
Making things is difficult work. Readers will recognize the stages of this young heroine’s experience as she struggles to realize her vision.
First comes anticipation. The artist/engineer is spotted jauntily pulling a wagonload of junkyard treasures. Accompanied by her trusty canine companion, she begins drawing plans and building an assemblage. The narration has a breezy tone: “[S]he makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!” The colorful caricatures and creations contrast with the digital black outlines on a white background that depict an urban neighborhood. Intermittent blue-gray panels break up the white expanses on selected pages showing sequential actions. When the first piece doesn’t turn out as desired, the protagonist tries again, hoping to achieve magnificence. A model of persistence, she tries many adjustments; the vocabulary alone offers constructive behaviors: she “tinkers,” “wrenches,” “fiddles,” “examines,” “stares” and “tweaks.” Such hard work, however, combines with disappointing results, eventually leading to frustration, anger and injury. Explosive emotions are followed by defeat, portrayed with a small font and scaled-down figures. When the dog, whose expressions have humorously mirrored his owner’s through each phase, retrieves his leash, the resulting stroll serves them well. A fresh perspective brings renewed enthusiasm and—spoiler alert—a most magnificent scooter sidecar for a loyal assistant.
Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle characterization for maximum delight. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-55453-704-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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