Eccentric aunts Jane, Lizzie, and Alice star in Stewig’s (Mother Holly, 2001, etc.) memoir-ish account of a boy’s summer sojourn to the country. “Now, Jackie, just think before you do anything,” his mother says as they drive through the cornfields. “You know the aunts sometimes do things differently than we do.” The next day, Jack sets about his usual tasks of fetching eggs from the hen house and watering the plants. But when the aunts decide to make plum jam, Jackie sees the truth of his mother’s words. O’Malley’s (Dinosaur Deals, 2001, etc.) full-bleed spread, which appears to be rendered in colored pencil, shows the foursome packed into the car on their way to Farmer Wilson’s land. On the next spread, they gleefully pick plums off the farmer’s tree while the angry farmer angrily approaches. A vignette of the foot-stomping farmer varies the pacing on the next spread; on the opposite page, the getaway car, shown from the rear, leaves a trail of dust and purple fruit. Stewig draws the story to a close with an act of redemption. Unable to sleep that night, Jackie sneaks out of bed and leaves a basket of jam in Farmer Wilson’s mailbox with a note that says “Thank You.” It makes for better neighborly relations—a few days later Farmer Wilson returns the gesture. “Thought you might like to eat some fresh,” reads the note tucked inside a basket of fruit. Young readers will likely recall stories of their own after hearing this expressive tale. A good choice to inspire storytelling sessions and children’s own writing. (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: June 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-7868-0460-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2002
Give this child’s-eye view of a day at the beach with an attentive father high marks for coziness: “When your ball blows across the sand and into the ocean and starts to drift away, your daddy could say, Didn’t I tell you not to play too close to the waves? But he doesn’t. He wades out into the cold water. And he brings your ball back to the beach and plays roll and catch with you.” Alley depicts a moppet and her relaxed-looking dad (to all appearances a single parent) in informally drawn beach and domestic settings: playing together, snuggling up on the sofa and finally hugging each other goodnight. The third-person voice is a bit distancing, but it makes the togetherness less treacly, and Dad’s mix of love and competence is less insulting, to parents and children both, than Douglas Wood’s What Dads Can’t Do (2000), illus by Doug Cushman. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: May 23, 2005
ISBN: 0-618-00361-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2005
Charming.
An assortment of unusual characters form friendships and help each other become their best selves.
Mr. and Mrs. Tupper, who live at Number 3 Ramshorn Drive, are antiquarians. Their daughter, Jillian, loves and cares for a plant named Ivy, who has “three speckles on each leaf and three letters in her name.” Toasty, the grumpy goldfish, lives in an octagonal tank and wishes he were Jillian’s favorite; when Arthur the spider arrives inside an antique desk, he brings wisdom and insight. Ollie the violet plant, Louise the bee, and Sunny the canary each arrive with their own quirks and problems to solve. Each character has a distinct personality and perspective; sometimes they clash, but more often they learn to empathize, see each other’s points of view, and work to help one another. They also help the Tupper family with bills and a burglar. The Fan brothers’ soft-edged, old-fashioned, black-and-white illustrations depict Toasty and Arthur with tiny hats; Ivy and Ollie have facial expressions on their plant pots. The Tuppers have paper-white skin and dark hair. The story comes together like a recipe: Simple ingredients combine, transform, and rise into something wonderful. In its matter-of-fact wisdom, rich vocabulary (often defined within the text), hint of magic, and empathetic nonhuman characters who solve problems in creative ways, this delightful work is reminiscent of Ferris by Kate DiCamillo, Our Friend Hedgehog by Lauren Castillo, and Ivy Lost and Found by Cynthia Lord and Stephanie Graegin.
Charming. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: May 27, 2025
ISBN: 9781665942485
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
