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ELWOOD BIGFOOT

Name: ELWOOD BIGFOOT
Author: Jill Esbaum
ISBN: 978-1-4549-0879-1

WANTED: BIRDIE FRIENDS!

by Jill Esbaum ; illustrated by Nate Wragg ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2015

Bright, enticing cartoon illustrations and a character many can identify with will hook storytimers and new readers.

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Elwood Bigfoot is lonely…won’t any birdie be his friend?

In the morning he sips his tea alone. In the afternoon he picks berries alone. And at night he’s lonely in his cave. Elwood Bigfoot wants nothing more than to have birdies for friends, but they always fly away from him. Maybe if he only had a home in a tree like theirs, they’d love him. He builds a treehouse, but they don’t come. He dresses like them (with beak and feathers), sings like them, eats like them…but they always fly away from him. Even a housewarming party doesn’t draw them. He builds a birdie theme park…but even that doesn’t work—until he comes to the realization that it is his loud, boisterous enthusiasm that scares the birds away. He quiets down…and is suddenly the birdie magnet he has always wanted to be. Esbaum’s sweet tale of a friendship-seeking bigfoot is a good title to hand to those not quite ready for chapter books. The relatively lengthy yet still simple text will keep them interested without unduly challenging their new reading skills. Wragg’s adorable, snaggle-toothed bigfoot is the real star here; his black-dot eyes and wide grin will easily charm the kids (and birds).

Bright, enticing cartoon illustrations and a character many can identify with will hook storytimers and new readers. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2015

ISBN: 978-1-4549-0879-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Sterling

Review Posted Online: June 15, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
HORNED TOAD HAS A SUPERPOWER
by Jill Esbaum ; illustrated by Bob Shea

- BOOK REVIEW
IT'S CORN PICKING TIME!
by Jill Esbaum ; illustrated by Melissa Crowton

- BOOK REVIEW
POLECAT HAS A SUPERPOWER
by Jill Esbaum ; illustrated by Bob Shea

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: June 21, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
A PERFECT PLACE TO PLAY
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Jim Valeri

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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THE MOST MAGNIFICENT THING

by Ashley Spires ; illustrated by Ashley Spires ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2014

Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle...

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Making things is difficult work. Readers will recognize the stages of this young heroine’s experience as she struggles to realize her vision.

First comes anticipation. The artist/engineer is spotted jauntily pulling a wagonload of junkyard treasures. Accompanied by her trusty canine companion, she begins drawing plans and building an assemblage. The narration has a breezy tone: “[S]he makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!” The colorful caricatures and creations contrast with the digital black outlines on a white background that depict an urban neighborhood. Intermittent blue-gray panels break up the white expanses on selected pages showing sequential actions. When the first piece doesn’t turn out as desired, the protagonist tries again, hoping to achieve magnificence. A model of persistence, she tries many adjustments; the vocabulary alone offers constructive behaviors: she “tinkers,” “wrenches,” “fiddles,” “examines,” “stares” and “tweaks.” Such hard work, however, combines with disappointing results, eventually leading to frustration, anger and injury. Explosive emotions are followed by defeat, portrayed with a small font and scaled-down figures. When the dog, whose expressions have humorously mirrored his owner’s through each phase, retrieves his leash, the resulting stroll serves them well. A fresh perspective brings renewed enthusiasm and—spoiler alert—a most magnificent scooter sidecar for a loyal assistant.

Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle characterization for maximum delight. (Picture book. 4-7)