Everything was fine and dandy until Mother brought home that pesky Emily Post book. Then, all of a sudden, there were many rules to follow. Too many, in fact. Don’t slump in your chair. Don’t talk with your mouth full. Don’t shout. How could anyone possibly follow them all? Huget’s picture-book debut is a rollicking introduction to Post’s guide to good (and bad) behavior. Mrs. Toplofty, Mr. Kindhart, Mrs. Wellborn and Mrs. Worldly, imaginary characters from Post’s 1922 etiquette book, populate this story as well, peering over the children’s shoulders with stern looks and wagging fingers. The kids are desperate to put an end to all these manners—but Mother certainly is not. Until, that is, they insist that she follow them as well. Boiger’s animated watercolors include sweeping brushstrokes and bouncing curves—an effective representation of the children’s growing frustration and boundless energy. Bits and bobs of Post’s rules—and even a few anecdotes from her life—dot the lively text, but her cultural significance isn’t fully explained until the end note. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-375-83853-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2009
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A unique and visually stunning approach to the classic dilemma of making new friends.
An enticing corner of wallpaper on the endpapers serves as a metaphor for turning the first page of this book: Readers will find wonders to discover inside.
A brown-skinned, dark-haired girl reluctantly moves to a new home. As she unpacks in her new room, she hears a conversation outside her window. A mixed-race group of kids is playing in a treehouse, but the girl hides when they see her, too shy to say hello. Suddenly, from an upturned corner of wallpaper nearby, a bird peeks out. The girl pulls the paper back, releasing a flock of birds, and steps into a peaceful, colorful, flower-filled world. When a monster arrives with a STOMP, he terrifies the protagonist, who pulls back more wallpaper and escapes into world after world. Their chase leads to an unexpected imaginary friendship inside this magical universe—and to the courage to create new, real friendships outside. Paper-collage illustrations lend texture and depth to this fantastical story, with individual elements providing layers so real readers will want to lift them up and peek underneath. Simple shapes (triangles for trees) and careful attention to detail make complex emotions visible and real for young readers. The hand-lettered title adds to the accessibility and childlike qualities of this book.
A unique and visually stunning approach to the classic dilemma of making new friends. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 15, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-77147-283-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Owlkids Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2018
PROFILES
Mixed metaphors cloud the power of this familiar message.
A vibrant neighborhood loses its color, literally, as the community becomes fractured.
Color is not a subtle metaphor in this story of a time when “the colors were swept from our street,” told by an unnamed boy with pale skin. Initially, loose-lined illustrations depict a lively city block in bright hues, but as the “sounds became quieter,” the colors begin to fade. Then, after a violent storm of jagged yellow streaks and bursts of fiery sparks, the color is completely gone. Not only are the city and its residents now composed only of cartoony black lines, but on the ground there is a dark rupture (another line) that divides the neighborhood. In one illustration, the boy stands on one side of the split while a girl with dark skin stands on the other. Is the rift a racial one? The next illustration shows the same children indoors, waving at each other through their windows. Does this “empty sadness” that lasts a year represent the Covid-19 pandemic? Is the emphasis on lines a commentary on society’s disconnectedness? Unfortunately, this year any of these interpretations could be true, and the myriad possibilities dilute a clear message. Nevertheless, the boy decides to do the hard work of clearing the rubble the storm left behind, and as neighbors join in to help, smiles and laughter return, bringing, predictably, the color back.
Mixed metaphors cloud the power of this familiar message. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 28, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5420-2690-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Two Lions
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2021
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