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IF I COULD CLIMB TREES

From the Nuggies series , Vol. 5

A sweet, sometimes-rhyming musing on the nature of daydreams from an adorable canine.

A puppy imagines what her life would be like if she could climb trees in this fifth installment of the Nuggies series by Minich and Garcia (Oui Oui, Gigi, 2016, etc.).

Coco, a Nuggie (or a puppy who never grows up), daydreams about a perfect day: “If I could go anywhere… / If I could do anything… / Where would I go? / What would I see?” Putting her paws against the bark of a tree, she begins to visualize what it would be like to climb trees and have a bird’s-eye view of the world. Coco’s dream tree is a magical one; from it, she can see the ocean crashing onto the beach, snow falling in the mountains, and a vast nighttime enveloping the cityscape. Coco also considers what she’d eat if she were like the bugs living in the tree. Garcia cleverly draws the little, big-eared brown dog in caterpillar form, chewing leaves; then as a lady bug drinking raindrops; and finally as an ant eating honey. In each image, Coco remains recognizable, despite becoming an insect. Next, Coco imagines playing like a squirrel, and Garcia combines Coco’s canine features with a rodent form, showing her leaping among the branches with a bushy tail. As night falls in Coco’s reverie, she wonders how the other animals might envision her life: the bugs getting comfy on human furniture; the bird’s wings changing to paws so she can bury a bone; and the squirrel gaining a dog’s sense of smell. Coco’s idyll concludes as she ponders the power of dreams to make you “any kind of you that you ever want to be!” Garcia’s illustrations are almost huggable in their cuteness, and Coco’s friend Chomper from earlier series installments makes a subtle appearance in two of the images. Because the story is from Coco’s point of view, her name is never given in the tale; only readers familiar with earlier books will know who she is, but newcomers should have no trouble connecting with her. Minich’s text sometimes rhymes and sometimes doesn’t, which feels uneven, though the concepts and vocabulary are quite approachable for both lap and newly independent picture-book readers.

A sweet, sometimes-rhyming musing on the nature of daydreams from an adorable canine.

Pub Date: March 28, 2017

ISBN: 978-0-9968115-7-6

Page Count: 32

Publisher: CreateSpace

Review Posted Online: March 24, 2017

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BECAUSE I HAD A TEACHER

A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.

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A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.

This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.

A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: March 1, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Compendium

Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017

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TALES FOR VERY PICKY EATERS

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

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