Multiple readings might encourage new illogical rhyming sequences for even more hysterical laughter.
Robbery here comes with rhyming wordplay.
“Once upon a time, / a thief committed a crime. / Everything he stole was replaced with a rhyme.” The thief takes pink, fuzzy Hammy’s hat and swaps it with a cat. The Silly Putty–like Marlow’s smile is replaced with a crocodile. As each new heist is announced on recto, the following verso reveals a new rhyming substitute that makes little sense, resulting in ridiculous fun. Matte colors in primary hues against a complementary solid background feature a motley assortment of black-outlined, googly-eyed, monsterlike characters from which various items are stolen by an equally strange-looking bandit dressed in jailbird black-and-white stripes. Tootle, a blue creature with green nose and limbs set against a pink backdrop, loses its dog, which is replaced by a barking log. Blue, birdlike Gertie’s pretty rainbow house, set against a sunny yellow background, is replaced by a giant gray mouse. The unexpected silliness of each larcenous conclusion will have kids stealing giggles and groans as this crook pilfers the normal order of sensible language on the way to an absurd, rhyming finale. Unable to find any match for Tumble’s orange (“Borange? Dorange? Porange?”), the burglar, momentarily stumped, is finally arrested and taken to jail—but an escape leaves readers to anticipate a new series of rhyming offenses.
Multiple readings might encourage new illogical rhyming sequences for even more hysterical laughter. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 3, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-7352-2884-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A bittersweet tale for kids that deftly illustrates the conflicting emotions that can occur when a loved one is struggling...
In Bertone’s illustrated children’s book, a young boy navigates his increasingly complex but loving relationship with his grandmother, who has Alzheimer’s disease.
Nate loves his Nana, but lately he’s noticed “something going on with her mind.” She begins acting oddly: attempting to read a book upside down, for instance, or forgetting that it’s his birthday party and not hers. As she becomes more preoccupied with “imaginary friends” that Nate can’t see, he becomes increasingly upset that she doesn’t play with him the way she used to: “Sometimes my Nana goes far away, traveling, in her mind. But, where? It’s hard to say! To Italy, outer space, or back to 1952. When Nana’s not here, I don’t know what to do.” Although other people, including Papa (Nate’s grandfather), tend to argue with her when she gets in those moods, Nate tries his hardest to be understanding. As he wonders if she’ll be around to see him get older, she reassures him that her love will remain forever, “though I may forget your name and your face.” Bertone tells the story in verse, with only one or two sentences per page. Claridades’ cartoon illustrations feature wide-eyed characters and pops of color that perfectly encapsulate the story’s shifting moods. When Nana talks to people who aren’t present, for example, the illustrator shades the ghosts of her past in a solid color to differentiate them from reality. The book skillfully blends hard facts and feelings, mentioning Alzheimer’s disease symptoms, such as mood swings, while also demonstrating Nate’s patience and adoration. The lack of parental figures in the book seems like a missed opportunity for the story to clearly explain to Nate, and young readers, what’s happening with Nana. By and large, though, the book manages to convey the reality of the disease to kids in an approachable way that encourages discussion. The book ends with resources for “Understanding aging, dementia, and Alzheimer’s.”
A bittersweet tale for kids that deftly illustrates the conflicting emotions that can occur when a loved one is struggling with dementia.Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2024
ISBN: 9798989403417
Page Count: 50
Publisher: Susan Schadt Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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