A different, unusual, possibly mind-bending take on a big concept.
Does love come in different sizes?
An adult caregiver uses nature as a backdrop to gently empower the young child initially seen cuddled close by naming things that are much smaller than that child is: dandelions, caterpillars, bees, toads, dragonflies, turtles, and more. The second-person text also realistically explains that there are things in and out of this world that are much, much bigger: bears, waterfalls, lions, oceans, blue whales, stars, and galaxies—even love itself! The speaker elaborates by explaining that love means “a sheltering hug,” a kiss, and gives examples of how some animal families tenderly demonstrate their love in gentle ways. The narration concludes with the reassurance that “love is me and you. Our love is small, but it is big, too.” Many adult readers likely will interpret the statement to suggest that a big emotion like love is often expressed through small yet meaningful actions. Though it’s true, this distinction might confuse some little listeners. It’s likely youngsters will have already been exposed to books like this that reassure them of their parents’ overwhelming love. If so, they’ve received the impression that parental love is enormous. The concept expressed here—that an abstraction like love is comparable to tangible, real-world objects that can be physically compared on a big-small basis—may confound some literal-minded kids, especially if they’ve been reassured otherwise. The colorful, natural-world illustrations, as serene as the reassurance conveyed, ennoble the text. Adult and child both have light-brown skin and brown hair. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A different, unusual, possibly mind-bending take on a big concept. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 21, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-269165-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren.
In talk-show host Fallon and illustrator Ordóñez’s latest picture-book collaboration, an elderly pooch waxes rhapsodic about a life well lived.
Observing Papa sitting in his chair watching TV all day, a young pup says, “I’m starting to think…you don’t do ANYTHING.” So Papa proceeds to list his accomplishments, both big and small, mundane and profound. Some are just a result of being older and physically bigger (being tall enough to reach a high shelf and strong enough to open jars); others include winning a race and performing in a band when he was younger. Eventually, the pup realizes that while Papa may have slowed down in his old age, he’s led a full life. The most satisfying thing about Papa’s life now? Watching his grandchild take center stage: “I can say lots of thoughts / but I choose to be quiet. / I’d rather you discover things and then try it.” Fallon’s straightforward text is sweetly upbeat, though it occasionally lacks flow, forcing incongruous situations together to fit the rhyme scheme (“I cook and I mow, / and I once flew a plane. // I play newspaper puzzles because it’s good for my brain”). Featuring uncluttered, colorful backgrounds, Ordóñez’s child-friendly digital art at times takes on sepia tones, evoking the sense of looking back at old photos or memories. Though the creators tread familiar ground, the love between Papa and his little one is palpable.
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781250393975
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it.
A succession of animal dads do their best to teach their young to say “Dada” in this picture-book vehicle for Fallon.
A grumpy bull says, “DADA!”; his calf moos back. A sad-looking ram insists, “DADA!”; his lamb baas back. A duck, a bee, a dog, a rabbit, a cat, a mouse, a donkey, a pig, a frog, a rooster, and a horse all fail similarly, spread by spread. A final two-spread sequence finds all of the animals arrayed across the pages, dads on the verso and children on the recto. All the text prior to this point has been either iterations of “Dada” or animal sounds in dialogue bubbles; here, narrative text states, “Now everybody get in line, let’s say it together one more time….” Upon the turn of the page, the animal dads gaze round-eyed as their young across the gutter all cry, “DADA!” (except the duckling, who says, “quack”). Ordóñez's illustrations have a bland, digital look, compositions hardly varying with the characters, although the pastel-colored backgrounds change. The punch line fails from a design standpoint, as the sudden, single-bubble chorus of “DADA” appears to be emanating from background features rather than the baby animals’ mouths (only some of which, on close inspection, appear to be open). It also fails to be funny.
Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 9, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-250-00934-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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