by Jon Agee & illustrated by Jon Agee ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 24, 2008
What happens when an eight-year-old boy decides being a kid is hard work and it’s time to retire? Weary of school, soccer practice, violin class, voice lessons, dog-walking, little-sister-sitting and eating his vegetables, Brian announces he’s retiring to the Happy Sunset Retirement Community in Florida. Initially, Brian thinks Happy Sunset is swell, with its swimming pool, tennis courts and snack bar. He enjoys playing cards, golfing, napping, fishing, going to ball games and watching movies with the Happy Sunset seniors. On the down side, Brian isn’t keen on TV documentaries, weekly medical check-ups, swing-dancing, prune-juice smoothies and looking at photos of grandchildren. After three weeks of serious retirement, Brian’s fed up with the geezer scene and wonders if his old job of being a kid is still available. Agee’s signature, bland cartoon-like pencil-and-watercolor illustrations contrast Brian the kid with Brian the retiree hanging out with the grey-haired set to great effect. An amusing take on the “no place like home” theme. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: June 24, 2008
ISBN: 978-1-4231-0314-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2008
Categories: CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S
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by Reese Witherspoon ; illustrated by Xindi Yan ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 4, 2022
Actor and author Witherspoon makes her picture-book debut.
Betty, a light-skinned, bespectacled child with blond pigtails, was born busy. Constantly in motion, Betty builds big block towers, cartwheels around the house (underfoot, of course), and plays with the family’s “fantabulous” dog, Frank, who is stinky and dirty. That leads to a big, busy, bright idea that, predictably, caroms toward calamity yet drags along enough hilarity to be entertaining. With a little help from best friend Mae (light-skinned with dark hair), the catastrophe turns into a lucrative dog-washing business. Busy Betty is once again ready to rush off to the next big thing. Yan uses vivid, pastel colors for a spread of a group of diverse kids bringing their dogs to be washed, helping out, and having fun, while the grown-ups are muted and relegated to the background. Extreme angles in several of the illustrations effectively convey a sense of perpetual motion and heighten the story’s tension, drawing readers in. An especially effective, glitter-strewn spread portrays Frank looming large and seemingly running off the page while Betty looks on, stricken at the ensuing mess. Though it’s a familiar and easily resolved story, Witherspoon’s rollicking text never holds back, replete with amusing phrases such as “sweet cinnamon biscuits,” “bouncing biscuits,” and “busted biscuits.” As Betty says, “Being busy is a great way to be.” Young readers are sure to agree. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An entertaining, if light, addition to the growing shelf of celebrity-authored picture books. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-46588-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Flamingo Books
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2022
Categories: CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S
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More About This Book
PERSPECTIVES
SEEN & HEARD
by Michelle Worthington ; illustrated by Joseph Cowman ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 14, 2015
A young boy sees things a little differently than others.
Noah can see patterns in the dust when it sparkles in the sunlight. And if he puts his nose to the ground, he can smell the “green tang of the ants in the grass.” His most favorite thing of all, however, is to read. Noah has endless curiosity about how and why things work. Books open the door to those answers. But there is one question the books do not explain. When the wind comes whistling by, where does it go? Noah decides to find out. In a chase that has a slight element of danger—wind, after all, is unpredictable—Noah runs down streets, across bridges, near a highway, until the wind lifts him off his feet. Cowman’s gusty wisps show each stream of air turning a different jewel tone, swirling all around. The ribbons gently bring Noah home, setting him down under the same thinking tree where he began. Did it really happen? Worthington’s sensitive exploration leaves readers with their own set of questions and perhaps gratitude for all types of perspective. An author’s note mentions children on the autism spectrum but widens to include all who feel a little different.
An invitation to wonder, imagine and look at everything (humans included) in a new way. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 14, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-60554-356-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Redleaf Lane
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2015
Categories: CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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