An effective, if visually undistinguished, tale with a straightforward message of reassurance for children affected by...
A picture book offering the point of view of twins offers affirmation and comfort to young children of separated parents.
Described as a “self-help book” for young readers, this work by Baier (My Little Inspirational Book, 2010), a grandmother of nine, is aimed at a specific audience: children facing the profound change that divorce brings and all the confusing, distressing emotions accompanying that situation. In clear, age-appropriate language, Baier introduces the subject with a first-person narrative from a young twin’s point of view, moving from a cozy dynamic (“We were a very happy family”) to dad’s departure, which leaves both siblings feeling “mad, sad, hurt and ashamed.” The author then addresses her audience directly, emphasizing “it is NOT your fault” and “you will be o.k.” Parents separate for many reasons, she asserts (leaving it at that), none of which have to do with their children. This doesn’t make the kids different—divorce happens to many youngsters, Baier notes. This explanation is framed by a picture of smiling girls and boys. (The uncredited cartoon-style illustrations—of diverse children and adults—are a colorful but unmemorable hodgepodge comprised of images that seem culled from several sources.) And, if children become overwhelmed by sad and angry feelings (“or if you want to hurt someone or yourself”), it helps to talk to a trusted adult about those emotions, the author advises. According to the back cover, Baier wrote this book based on the trauma she shared with her young twin brother that gave her firsthand experience with a child’s need to know without question that when parents separate, it is not because the kid did anything wrong. This no-frills but worthwhile work ends with the important lesson that although routines will be altered, the love that parents feel for their children will not disappear. Baier includes a blank page inviting children to draw a self-portrait under the heading “I Am Very Special and OK!”
An effective, if visually undistinguished, tale with a straightforward message of reassurance for children affected by divorce.Pub Date: June 9, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4269-7183-9
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Trafford
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The seemingly ageless Seeger brings back his renowned giant for another go in a tuneful tale that, like the art, is a bit sketchy, but chockful of worthy messages. Faced with yearly floods and droughts since they’ve cut down all their trees, the townsfolk decide to build a dam—but the project is stymied by a boulder that is too huge to move. Call on Abiyoyo, suggests the granddaughter of the man with the magic wand, then just “Zoop Zoop” him away again. But the rock that Abiyoyo obligingly flings aside smashes the wand. How to avoid Abiyoyo’s destruction now? Sing the monster to sleep, then make it a peaceful, tree-planting member of the community, of course. Seeger sums it up in a postscript: “every community must learn to manage its giants.” Hays, who illustrated the original (1986), creates colorful, if unfinished-looking, scenes featuring a notably multicultural human cast and a towering Cubist fantasy of a giant. The song, based on a Xhosa lullaby, still has that hard-to-resist sing-along potential, and the themes of waging peace, collective action, and the benefits of sound ecological practices are presented in ways that children will both appreciate and enjoy. (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-83271-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2001
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