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DEAR CHILD

Name: DEAR CHILD
Author: John Farrell
ISBN: 978-1-59078-495-2

by John Farrell & illustrated by Maurie J. Manning ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2008

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There are three families in this terribly earnest picture book: a single dad with a blonde child, a blonde and Asian female pair with an Asian adopted child, and a black couple where the dad is dark, the mom café au lait and the child a color between. It rhymes, often clunkily, and it is nearly always clichéd: “Dear child, / I never knew / clouds were so beautiful, / the sky so blue.” Parents and children, clearly neighbors, go to parties, shop, build a snowman and go camping as the pictures flow through the year, “Dear, sweet child, / you make time stand still. / I love you this moment, / and I always will.” The illustrations are round and rosy, a match for the even goopier sentimental text. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: March 1, 2008

ISBN: 978-1-59078-495-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Boyds Mills

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2008

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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PEANUT BUTTER & CUPCAKE

by Terry Border ; illustrated by Terry Border ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 29, 2014

Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school...

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The familiar theme of the challenges facing a new kid in town is given an original treatment by photographer Border in this book of photos of three-dimensional objects in a simple modeled landscape.

Peanut Butter is represented by a slice of white bread spread with the popular condiment. The other characters in the story—a hamburger with a pair of hot dogs in tow, a bowl of alphabet soup, a meatball jumping a rope of spaghetti, a carton of French fries and a pink cupcake—are represented by skillfully crafted models of these foods, anthropomorphized using simple wire construction. Rejected by each character in turn in his search for playmates, Peanut Butter discovers in the end that Jelly is his true match (not Cupcake, as the title suggests), perhaps because she is the only one who looks like him, being a slice of white bread spread with jelly. The friendly foods end up happily playing soccer together. Some parents may have trouble with the unabashedly happy depiction of carbs and American junk food (no carrots or celery sticks in this landscape), and others may find themselves troubled by the implication that friendship across difference is impossible.

Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school experiences. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: July 29, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-399-16773-7

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Philomel

Review Posted Online: May 13, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
SCAREDY SNACKS!
by Terry Border ; illustrated by Terry Border

- BOOK REVIEW
SNACK ATTACK!
by Terry Border ; illustrated by Terry Border

- BOOK REVIEW
BIG BROTHER PEANUT BUTTER
by Terry Border ; illustrated by Terry Border

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HOW TO CATCH A MAMASAURUS

From the How To Catch… series

by Alice Walstead ; illustrated by Andy Elkerton ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 5, 2024

A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series.

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Another creature is on the loose.

The long-running series continues its successful formula with this Hallmark card of a book, which features bright illustrations and catchy rhymes. This time, the mythical creature the racially diverse children set out to catch is an absent mom who does it all (lists of descriptors include the words banker, caregiver, nurse, doctor, driver, chef, housekeeper, teacher, entertainer, playmate, laundry service, problem solver, handywoman, cleaner, and alarm clock) but doesn’t seem to have a job outside the home and is inexplicably a dinosaur. As the children prepare gifts and a meal for her, the text becomes an ode to the skills the Mamasaurus possesses (“Day or night she’s always there. / She meets every wish and need”) and values she instills (“Sometimes life can mean hard work,” “kindness matters,” and “what counts is doing your best”). This well-intentioned selection veers into cliche generously sprinkled with saccharine but manages to redeem itself with its appreciation for mothers and all that they may do. Endpapers include a “to” and “from” page framed in a heart, as well as a page where young gift givers or recipients can draw a picture of their Mamasaurus.