Likely to sharpen nature-listening skills, this is ideal for sharing before a mountain hike of your own.
On a fall hike in the mountains, a small group listens to the world around them.
An adult and three children—a preschooler with light brown skin and curly hair in two puffs and two school-age children, one with light skin, short blond hair, and a knit cap, the other sporting glasses and sharing the beige skin tone and dark hair of the adult—set off on a hike. “The mountains have lots to say… / if you listen.” Each subsequent spread starts with an onomatopoeic sound and the children recognizing the noisemaker: “Chirr, chirr. / I hear you, Chipmunk, / chattering cheerfully. / Would you like / to hike with us?” On their way to the summit, they also hear a waterfall, rustling branches, bouncing pine cones, birds hoping for dropped crumbs, footsteps, a snoring bear (imagined), snowflakes, and an echo. George highlights sights and sounds accessible to most children who are exploring the mountains, making this an adventure that young ones can replicate, especially since Mok depicts the characters taking frequent breaks to rest, snack, or satisfy their curiosity. The youngest child hitches a ride partway but is still able to tackle the terrain, and the group’s efforts have a satisfying payoff.
Likely to sharpen nature-listening skills, this is ideal for sharing before a mountain hike of your own. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9781771647427
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Greystone Kids
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2024
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
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A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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