bookshelf

I HEAR YOU, FOREST

Name: I HEAR YOU, FOREST
Author: Kallie George
ISBN: 978-1-77164-736-6

From the Sounds of Nature series

by Kallie George ; illustrated by Carmen Mok ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 7, 2021

A good reminder that a stroll through the woods should provide lots of opportunities to slow down and notice.

bookshelf

A whimsical tale of a child who listens hard in enjoying the woods.

A kid wearing a yellow shirt, reddish-orange overalls, and gray lace-up shoes tells readers, “The forest has lots to say…if you listen.” Every spread features onomatopoeic text that simulates the sounds of trees, leaves, animals, and other living things, and the child notices all of this. On one double-page spread, three squirrels nibble orange nuts or fruits in a tree while the child stands underneath, eyes closed, soaking in the sounds. The kid, who has pale skin and thick, black hair rendered in strokes that give it a ropy look, walks with an adult into the forest on the title page, and, on the last page, they leave together, hand in hand. But for most of the story, the young protagonist enjoys the forest alone, confident, safe, and immersed. The mixed-media illustrations, awash in greens and blues, portray the animals somewhat anthropomorphically. For instance, in the final scene, 13 animals appear, and all but one of them looks adoringly at the humans exiting the woods. While the illustrations offer young children opportunities to name different animals, scientifically oriented readers might be disappointed that vague anatomical details make some of them impossible to identify. The story kicks off the Sounds of Nature series.

A good reminder that a stroll through the woods should provide lots of opportunities to slow down and notice. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-77164-736-6

Page Count: 36

Publisher: Greystone Kids

Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

- BOOK REVIEW
THE WISHING LEAF
by Kallie George ; illustrated by Paola Zakimi

- BOOK REVIEW
SAND CAKES
by Kallie George ; illustrated by Devon Holzwarth

- BOOK REVIEW
I HEAR YOU, MOUNTAINS
by Kallie George ; illustrated by Carmen Mok

bookshelf

HOW TO CATCH A GROUNDHOG

From the How To Catch… series

by Alice Walstead ; illustrated by Emma Gillette & Andy Elkerton ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 10, 2024

This catch is fumbled.

bookshelf

Having attempted to catch the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, and the Gingerbread Man, a group of kids set their sights on a groundhog.

After two score and counting How To Catch books, this latest addition suggests that there’s nothing left to capture. The verses are feeble (“But I’m chilled to my bones deep inside / I feel the wind across my backside”), while the illustrations are mundane. On one page, a child crouches in a drift eating “stick cheese” (apparently because it rhymes with “trees”). Another catches a football thrown by a friend but falls across a stone slab, breaking it in two. Far below, the anthropomorphic groundhog’s breakfast is disturbed; his cup, saucer, creamer, and sugar bowl are jostled. “Tomorrow is his big holiday,” the children note. “Will a shadow fall outside the den? / We need him to answer this riddle: / we know winter ends but not when.” Ultimately, though the intrepid hunters set a series of traps, they’re disappointed to catch only a rabbit. The groundhog, it turns out, is hibernating in an elaborate wrought iron bed. On the very next page, the mayor holds up the beast. How was he caught, then? We don’t know. What was his verdict on winter’s duration? We don’t know. Will the series ever stop? We can only hope. Human characters are diverse.

This catch is fumbled. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Dec. 10, 2024

ISBN: 9781728293035

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland

Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

- BOOK REVIEW
HOW TO CATCH BIGFOOT
by Alice Walstead ; illustrated by Andy Elkerton

- BOOK REVIEW
HOW TO CATCH AN INVISIBLE BAD GUY
by Alice Walstead ; illustrated by Andy Elkerton

- BOOK REVIEW
HOW TO CATCH A FAIRY GODMOTHER
by Alice Walstead ; illustrated by Andy Elkerton

bookshelf

BUG CATCHERS

From the Dirt and Bugsy series

by Megan Litwin ; illustrated by Shauna Lynn Panczyszyn ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 28, 2023

Bugs, friendship, and fun—what more could burgeoning readers want?

bookshelf

The titular characters collect and protect bugs in this early reader.

Against blocks of cartoonlike green grass and blue sky—with bugs hovering around them—two boys face readers with big smiles. Dirt has light skin and a head of floppy russet hair, while Bugsy has dark skin and an Afro. The text explains that “Dirt and Bugsy are bug catchers. They catch all kinds of bugs.” Bright islands of artwork against the next two white pages show nicely detailed drawings of bugs that “crawl,” “fly,” “slide,” or “hide.” Rudimentary sentences and phrases, subtle rhymes, and repetitive language encourage hesitant readers to stay engaged as a simple plot emerges. The boys are enjoying outdoor time with bugs when it begins to rain. They build a shelter—“a bug barn”—and diligently search for, seize, and house hiding bugs. The story’s conclusion is satisfactory in every way—no small feat in this genre. A welcome endnote, artistically rendered to look handwritten on lined paper, advises kids on how to be responsible bug catchers (“Find a good bug-catching jar”; “Go outside. Look around in good buggy places…”)—and bug releasers.

Bugs, friendship, and fun—what more could burgeoning readers want? (Early reader. 5-7)