by Judy Sierra & illustrated by Linda Davick ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 28, 2011
The draw of Sierra’s latest is the rhyming verse that is interspersed with rebus pictures, allowing children to chime in and...
Just right for new kindergartners and preschoolers who cannot yet read words, this is one school story that they will be able to help in reading.
The draw of Sierra’s latest is the rhyming verse that is interspersed with rebus pictures, allowing children to chime in and participate in the telling. It is the first day of school for Frog, Duck, Mouse and Snail. The first-day activities include writing their names, building with blocks, counting and playing alphabet games. They also sing with their teacher, Mr. Burkey, attend art class with Mrs. Rabbit and, of course, eat lunch: “The polka-dot snail / Brought her lunch in a [pail]. / The duck had some soup in a [cup]. / The frog caught a [fly], / And the mouse shared her [pie] / With their teacher, who gobbled it [up].” By the end of the day, they are all fast friends who love school. Davick’s brightly colored digital illustrations show all the quintessential elements of school—from the playground and bus outside to the decorations and supplies inside. Throughout, kindness, sharing and being helpful are modeled by the anthropomorphized cartoon animals in both the artwork and the nursery-rhyme cadences.Pub Date: June 28, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-375-86728-6
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2011
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by Carin Bramsen & illustrated by Carin Bramsen ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 22, 2013
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
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by Tom Percival ; illustrated by Tom Percival ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2018
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance.
A boy with wings learns to be himself and inspires others like him to soar, too.
Norman, a “perfectly normal” boy, never dreamed he might grow wings. Afraid of what his parents might say, he hides his new wings under a big, stuffy coat. Although the coat hides his wings from the world, Norman no longer finds joy in bathtime, playing at the park, swimming, or birthday parties. With the gentle encouragement of his parents, who see his sadness, Norman finds the courage to come out of hiding and soar. Percival (The Magic Looking Glass, 2017, etc.) depicts Norman with light skin and dark hair. Black-and-white illustrations show his father with dark skin and hair and his mother as white. The contrast of black-and-white illustrations with splashes of bright color complements the story’s theme. While Norman tries to be “normal,” the world and people around him look black and gray, but his coat stands out in yellow. Birds pop from the page in pink, green, and blue, emphasizing the joy and beauty of flying free. The final spread, full of bright color and multiracial children in flight, sets the mood for Norman’s realization on the last page that there is “no such thing as perfectly normal,” but he can be “perfectly Norman.”
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68119-785-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
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