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EMILY DICKINSON’S LETTERS TO THE WORLD

Name: EMILY DICKINSON’S LETTERS TO THE WORLD
Author: Jeanette Winter
ISBN: 0-374-32147-7

by Jeanette Winter & illustrated by Jeanette Winter ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 19, 2002

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Mixing such chestnuts as “There Is No Frigate Like a Book” and “I’m Nobody! Who Are You?” with less common expostulations (“Will there really be a ‘Morning’? / Is there such a thing as ‘Day’?), Winter (My Baby, 2001, etc.) presents a quick but complex taste of a quick but complex poet. To the 22 carefully selected poems, the artist pairs simply drawn folk-art scenes of a white-gowned figure ruminatively observing outdoor settings, and sandwiches it all with an invented narrative from Emily’s sister, Lavinia, that fills in a bit of background about the poet’s cloistered life. Though the verses are not only printed in a “handwritten” italic, but also placed so that it’s sometimes hard to tell where one poem leaves off and the next begins, this small tribute effectively captures a sense of Dickinson’s precise language and wide-open imagination. Great potential as a keepsake and a lovely introduction for younger readers. (Poetry. 6-12)

Pub Date: March 19, 2002

ISBN: 0-374-32147-7

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Frances Foster/Farrar, Straus & Giroux

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2002

Categories:

CHILDREN'S BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR | CHILDREN'S POETRY

- BOOK REVIEW
THE SNOW MAN
by Jonah Winter ; illustrated by Jeanette Winter

- BOOK REVIEW
THE LITTLE OWL & THE BIG TREE
by Jonah Winter ; illustrated by Jeanette Winter

- BOOK REVIEW
SISTER CORITA'S WORDS AND SHAPES
by Jeanette Winter ; illustrated by Jeanette Winter

- IN THE NEWS
Children’s Author Jeanette Winter Dies at 86

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WOMBAT WAITING

by Katherine Applegate ; illustrated by Jen Bricking ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 5, 2026

Affecting and hopeful.

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A stray dog finds her destiny amid the chaos of a Southern California wildfire.

Wombat is a small dog with stubby legs and “silly ears / that look like furry cookies”—almost impossibly cute in Bricking’s occasional pencil-style vignettes. She’s mastered the art of survival, so when a mysterious internal voice prods her to go toward the fire, she resists. “The wrong way is the right way. / The right way is the wrong way,” the voice insists. When she tells fellow stray Silas about it, he tells Wombat she’s a “destiny dog,” bound to “find their person / before their person / can find them.” Convinced, she decides to follow the mysterious instructions. Meanwhile, Henry, a boy who’s leery of dogs, loves the bats at the wildlife rehabilitation center where Mama Ro, a veterinarian, works; his Mama J is a librarian. Henry and Barnabas, a fruit bat at the center, are both uprooted by the fire, and their paths converge with Wombat’s at an emergency shelter. The third-person perspective shifts from character to character in clusters of free-verse poems that fully immerse readers in each one’s experiences in turn. This extra-concentrated delivery of Applegate’s typically spare writing proves effective, balancing terror and sadness with heart and humor. Henry has light brown skin, Mama Ro has curly black hair and brown skin, and Mama J presents white.

Affecting and hopeful. (Verse fiction. 8-12)

Pub Date: May 5, 2026

ISBN: 9780063221178

Page Count: 304

Publisher: Storytide/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY | CHILDREN'S POETRY

- BOOK REVIEW
THE LITTLEST ELEPHANT
by Katherine Applegate ; illustrated by Lita Judge

- BOOK REVIEW
POCKET BEAR
by Katherine Applegate ; illustrated by Charles Santoso

- BOOK REVIEW
ODDER
by Katherine Applegate ; illustrated by Charles Santoso

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REACHING FOR THE MOON

by Buzz Aldrin & illustrated by Wendell Minor ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2005

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In first-person voice, Aldrin highlights points from his childhood that led to his dream of being an astronaut and making the historic moon landing. Coincidental details like his mother’s maiden name, “Moon,” and his favorite movie hero, the “Lone Ranger,” suggest clues to his destiny. After West Point, he joined the Air Force because “he wanted to fly more than anything.” Minor’s usual beautiful and realistic illustrations effectively convey spatial perspectives and movement, adding depth to the narrative. However, the cover design and type layout are confusing, indicative of a biography instead of an autobiography—a brief intro could have clarified it. Aldrin’s message in an author’s note avows, “If you set your sights high, you may accomplish more than you ever dreamed.” Pair this with Don Brown’s One Giant Step for a child’s-eye view on space exploration. (Flight/space exploration chronology) (Picture book/biography. 6-9)