Whether used as a read-aloud or a bridge between early readers and chapter books, a serene treat.
An agreeable young girl named Pinny enjoys her version of a perfect day near the sea.
Four extremely short chapters—generously illustrated with richly textured artwork—divide the tale, starting with “Pinny” and ending with “Pinny Has a Party.” The blonde, white girl skips along the shore, looking for a “wishing rock.” She accepts a skinned knee with equanimity, as it leads her to “the most perfect wishing rock she had ever seen.” Her contentment in solitude is matched by delight in her friends, a child with East Asian features and a white redhead. The three children enjoy blueberrying and cloud-gazing until a summer rain hastens them to their homes, with a promise of blueberry cake at Pinny’s home later that day. A sea gull enters and re-enters this gentle tale, in which adult humans are, happily, neither seen nor heard. Any children who have spent time in nature will relish the story, as will fans of such classics as One Morning in Maine. When a potentially dark moment arises in the final chapter, Pinny’s gracious, optimistic personality immediately turns clouds into sunshine. The tone of the book is sweet and reassuring, and the art perfectly catches the joy of pleasant, unstructured time. Particularly lovely: Pinny dancing around her kitchen upon completion of her blueberry cake.
Whether used as a read-aloud or a bridge between early readers and chapter books, a serene treat. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: May 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-55498-782-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Groundwood
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2016
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
A nice but not requisite purchase.
A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.
Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.
A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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