A beautiful way to introduce the concept of privilege to young readers as well as share ideas about treating others well.
A self-important leaf receives a joyful message of equality as fall arrives in Gold’s debut morality tale with illustrations by Gadra (Sneaking Treats, 2012).
In an oddly shaped tree with humanlike features, a single leaf has the highest perch, where he can see more than any of his fellows. At first, the others are excited to know what he can observe, which includes distant smoke and schoolchildren (mostly in black-and-white sketches but with flares of color that enhance the images). But the leaf develops an unpleasant attitude, demanding that others call him “Top Leaf.” A smaller leaf below says, “You’re only at the top by chance. What makes you think you’re so special?” When autumn comes, Top Leaf refuses to fall, believing that he’ll no longer be important. The smaller leaf is excited to go, however; Top Leaf humbles himself to ask if they can fall together and finds that having a friend feels better than feeling important. Gadra’s spare illustrations, with their limited use of color, support the simplicity of the narrative, which uses approachable, straightforward language. It subtly shows how some people have lucky advantages—but that doesn’t make them better; everyone faces the same end.
A beautiful way to introduce the concept of privilege to young readers as well as share ideas about treating others well.Pub Date: Oct. 31, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-9978741-3-6
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Buffalo Arts Publishing
Review Posted Online: April 28, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
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
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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