This is a book that young children will easily remember and recite after a reading or two.
A skunk upsets a fall bicycle ride through the country.
A mother, a young child, both wearing their helmets, and a dog leave a father and baby and start off on a bike ride. They start near the sea, go past a pond with ducks, stop by a farm, pick some apples, and then meet up with the skunk. They reverse their tracks and find the rest of the family. The simple rhyming text is enlivened with onomatopoeic sounds: “I hear my bike, clackety-clack, clackety-clack / and some ducks, quackety-quack, quackety-quack.” The genderless child looks a little young to be riding without training wheels, but the brown-skinned tot is having a good time. The child, the baby (just a round head sticking out from an orange front pack), and the mother are a slight tone darker than the father. The dad takes care of the infant while the mom goes on the short adventure with the older child, reflecting contemporary families. The humans, the bikes, and the dog are boldly outlined and flatly drawn, but the autumnal landscape (evidently Vancouver, the illustrator’s home) has contrasting textures. The olive greens and browns are subtle colors for this age group, but there are red and gold highlights as well as the bold outlines to keep eyes focused. Small size, short text, and common experiences make this a good choice for reading aloud at home or to a small group. Publishing simultaneously is On My Skis, which finds the same family enjoying the winter; the dad takes the child out for what appears to be a first downhill-skiing experience, while the mom and the baby (tucked in a sled) watch.
This is a book that young children will easily remember and recite after a reading or two. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-926890-13-5
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: Jan. 31, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2017
Warmly buoyant.
A Black family of four enjoys a day at the pool.
Readers may recognize two of the family members from Bolling and Juanita’s Together We Ride (2022), which centered on a father teaching his young daughter to ride a bike. This latest takes a similar tack, as the mother now helps her young son learn to swim. The child is uncertain, but with her encouragement, he dips a toe into the water and picks up the fundamentals: lifting his head above the water, floating, pumping his arms and legs. There are snafus along the way—the child initially sinks, but Mom is right there. Finally the boy strikes out to swim, “On my own, / in the zone.” The whole family is reassuring, cheering the child on. Big sister does the backstroke and a handstand, displaying the confidence the little one is still learning. Brief but upbeat rhyming verses will especially appeal to beginning readers. Juanita’s carefully composed, muted line illustrations shine in the details, from swim bonnets on Mom and big sister to a mermaid tattoo on Dad’s side. Touching moments in the art pair well with the text. Black family pride and joy abound—this is a family that allows its little ones the space to make forays into independence while supporting them every step of the way. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Warmly buoyant. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Aug. 15, 2023
ISBN: 9781797212494
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
PERSPECTIVES
A quiet book about making a giant leap.
Lottie knows something no one else knows. Her mother and brother don’t know. Her swimming instructor does not know, and the other children in swim class certainly don’t know.
There is a shark that lives in the pool. It wants to eat Lottie—only Lottie—and Lottie is not going to let it get anywhere near her. Most children have had moments when they’ve sat on the sidelines watching others laugh and play because they were too scared to just dive in, and that is precisely where Lottie finds herself. Lucky for her, Walter shows up just in time. He sings, they read books, play in bubbles, and even share the same favorite food. But when it comes time for Lottie to face her fears, can Walter truly help? Walter, as readers and Lottie see but her family may not, is an enormous walrus. Walker’s soft and appropriately watery illustrations complement and extend her whimsical text, lending a dreamlike feel to the story. Readers will discern the shadowy, predatory shape of the shark below the surface of the water even as Lottie’s classmates splash and play, and they will sympathize, and they will giggle at the depictions of Walter’s huge bulk in Lottie’s tidy urban home while believing that Walter will protect her. Lottie, her mother, and her brother have light-brown skin and black hair.
A quiet book about making a giant leap. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 7, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-328-47038-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
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