Certain to linger with readers.
A child acknowledges an older friend’s memory loss.
A craggy-faced, red-capped, pale-skinned elder, Mr. Mornington (reminiscent of John Burningham’s characters) is “the best saxophonist in the world,” according to the book’s narrator and Mr. Mornington’s neighbor, a small brown-skinned child. The little one visits through a special hedge-gate to bring Mr. Mornington sweet treats: “We have a deal. Mr. Mornington fills our garden with music and we fill his tummy with cherry cakes!” Mr. M.’s memory is not what it was, though: He forgets to get dressed properly before going shopping, for instance. But he offers to teach the child to become the world’s “second-best” saxophonist. By the time a child-size sax arrives, however, he’s gone; he even forgot to say goodbye. Mom (also brown-skinned) explains that Mr. Mornington has moved to a new home where he’ll get the care he needs. Before visiting him, the child practices their favorite song. Without his cap, sax, or cherry cake, Mr. Mornington is diminished, but the child visits often and plays for him, sometimes without much effect but sometimes eliciting the ghost of a smile, as he perhaps remembers. Both characters’ favorite things are delightfully evoked in a stream of images flowing from the saxophone horn: Mr. Mornington’s house, dog, and more; the child’s cat (featured in many separate frames), mom, and friends. George has crafted a simple yet moving and child-friendly tale enhanced by understated watercolor-esque vignettes. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Certain to linger with readers. (cherry cake recipe) (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 15, 2023
ISBN: 9781801301022
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Welbeck Flame
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2023
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
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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