Van Leeuwen’s bedtime book will probably keep kids wide awake, particularly if readers follow the example set by Grandpop. It is time for three kids to hit the hay, and Grandpop has pulled baby-sitting duty. The kids want a bedtime story and he obliges: His first story takes place on a hot summer day in his childhood, and it involves merry pranks. For the punchline, Grandpop tickles his charges, and so they plead for another story. Again they visit that hot summer of long ago, this time in the company of dancing cows that when milked deliver pails of ice cream, but only if tickled behind the ear. Grandpop proceeds to tickle the kids’ ears; thus they clamor for more stories, and it’s back to that hot summer day, which is winding down into a steamy night, when sleep was difficult to find. The kids are soon snoozing, exhausted by their grandfather’s antics. Whyte catches the specifics and the sensibility in her sharp watercolors that exaggerate the details but keep the emotions true. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: May 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-8037-2048-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 1998
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Mia recognizes that she’s been given a special treat that doesn’t come to all children whose loved ones live far away, which...
Mia makes a Christmas card to send to her faraway grandfather, although she’s afraid it won’t reach him in time.
At the Christmas market with her mother, she finds a mysterious mailbox emblazoned with the words “The Reindeer Express” and “Turn knob three times to send parcel.” Mia steps through a door to a marvelously decorated room, where a cheerful woman directs her through another door. Mia finds herself in a magical, snowy forest. A reindeer whisks her away over a moonlit harbor, past a wondrous, sparkly city, and finally to Grandpa’s home in the mountains. Rare for picture books, Grandpa is on the youngish side, with the same red hair and white skin as Mia and her mother; Mia’s glasses are another welcome feature. Stepping back through the mailbox, she finds herself back in the market and that no time has elapsed. She and her mother return home to celebrate a joyful Christmas. Die-cut pages and lift-the-flap doors—some pleasingly challenging to find—creatively provide a sense of magic throughout. The book’s delightful, quiltlike design and geometric shapes allow readers’ eyes to move easily across the pages to spot hidden doors and windows. Fir trees and onion-domed buildings decorate the northern scenes, and endpapers include maps with an arctic feel.
Mia recognizes that she’s been given a special treat that doesn’t come to all children whose loved ones live far away, which makes this title especially resonant for readers in her circumstance. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 9, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5247-7166-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
A joyful celebration of Eid with a message of community and gratitude.
The best part of Eid is sharing with others.
When Safa and her family see the new moon, which marks the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, she’s excited to start their evening traditions. Mom applies henna to their hands, Dad gets out the decorations, and Safa goes to sleep dreaming of the party they’ll have the next day. Safa is ecstatic when she gets everything that she asked Allah for, but she doesn’t want to let her cousin Alissa take a turn on her new bicycle. Mom tells Safa that she’s old enough now to accompany her on visits to their neighbors. Mom and Safa share their treats with others, and Safa reflects on her actions and sees how the gifts make her neighbors happy, all of which adds to her own joy. Safa and her mother go to her grandparents’ house to continue celebrating before heading home. Some readers may be confused by the sequence of events; the story ends with Alissa asking Safa where she went—was Alissa left out of the festivities at Safa’s grandparents’ home? Nevertheless, brightly saturated, celebratory colors and decorations capture the spirit of Eid. The neighbors are of diverse backgrounds and abilities. Cues in the text and in the glossary suggest that Safa and her family are Pakistani. The glossary includes some common Islamic phrases and terms that are not used in the text.
A joyful celebration of Eid with a message of community and gratitude. (glossary) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781338877816
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
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