Tankard’s latest will tickle the funny bones—and tug at the heartstrings—of its young audience. In this sequel to Grumpy Bird (2007), Bird receives a “bonk” on his head during a game of catch. At Raccoon’s urging, the injured fowl visits each of his friends for a little TLC, but nothing, not even kisses or cookies, soothes his dampened spirits. Bird does have a flair for the dramatic; he’s outraged when Sheep suggests a game of hide-and-seek: “You want me to hide?” he wails. “I CAN HARDLY WALK!!!” Depressed by Bird’s misery, the animals cry, resulting in Bird’s miraculous, and hilarious, full recovery. As in its predecessor, ink and digitally rendered double-page spreads against photographed images feature thick black lines, blocky shapes and bright, bold colors. Playful pacing and taut expressions capture the humor and vulnerability of Bird and his gang. This selection will resonate with listeners, who will likely cringe as Bird mistakenly offers, yet again, to be on the receiving end of another game of catch. (Picture book. 2-6)
Pub Date: April 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-545-06570-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2009
Sweet.
A caregiving bear shares with its cub how love has defined their relationship from the first moment and through the years as the cub has grown.
With rhymes and a steady rhythm that are less singsong-y than similar books, Stansbie seems to have hit a sweet spot for this offering on the I-love-you-always shelf. Readers follow the adult and child as they share special moments together—a sunset, a splash in a pond, climbing a tree, a snuggle—and the adult tells the child that the love it feels has only grown. Stansbie also takes care not to put promises in the adult bear’s mouth that can’t be delivered, acknowledging that physical proximity is not always possible: “Wherever you are, / even when we’re apart… // I’ll love you forever / with all of my heart.” The large trim size helps the sweet illustrations shine; their emphasis is on the close relationship between parent and child. Shaped peekaboo windows offer glimpses of preceding and succeeding pages, images and text carefully placed to work whatever the context. While the die cuts on the interior pages will not hold up to rough handling, they do add whimsy and delight to the book as a whole: “And now that you’re bigger, / you make my heart sing. / My / beautiful / wonderful / magical / thing.” Those last three adjectives are positioned in leaf-shaped cutouts, the turn of the page revealing the roly-poly cub in a pile of leaves, three formed by the die-cuts. Opposite, three vignettes show the cub appreciating the “beautiful,” the “wonderful,” and the “magical.”
Sweet. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Dec. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-68412-910-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Silver Dolphin
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2019
A precocious girl’s reverie begins when the birds’ morning songs drift through her window. Initially, she reflects on their vastly varied physical attributes; her thoughts then turn to the birds’ relationship with their physical environment, both collectively and individually. Powerful images reflect their beauty. “Sometimes in winter, a bird in a tree looks like one red leaf left over.” While the girl wishes to fly like birds she enjoys, she is encouraged by the commonality that unites them: “I can sing!” Dronzek’s wavy black lines accentuate the birds’ natural radiance; acrylic smudges exude a hazy glow. Dark bursts of color explode against the sky in a striking double-page spread as a flock takes flight en masse; the word “surprise” above outstretched branches reflects the thought with bold uneven letters. Spare language enhances the story’s quiet essence; the girl’s musings change abruptly, with a child’s mercurial speed, resulting in a grounded offering that begins to fly but doesn’t fully soar. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: March 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-06-136304-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2009
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