A realistically somber—if less than compelling—snapshot of a summer marked by sadness and uneasiness.
A child spends a long summer with grandparents.
Junie's sister Anna is ill; her condition is severe enough that Junie must stay with Nan and Pop while Mum and Dad care for Anna. They leave Junie with the promise that they’ll return “the minute Anna’s well enough.” The children have a positive relationship, and Anna even gives Junie her camera, though she writes in a letter that it’s just a loan and Junie “better not break it.” This slow-moving depiction of sadness mostly focuses on what Junie eats, sees, and photographs; a brief mention of “Edmund” in the beginning turns out to refer to an ancient turtle living in a nearby lake. The story captures the kind of homesickness and anxiety that come from long-distance worrying about a loved one—it’s long and meandering, with a few bright spots against an otherwise dreary background. Not much happens, and since Junie stoically endures this difficult situation but doesn’t take much action, the happy ending is a relief but somehow doesn’t feel satisfying. Blocky illustrations in colored pencil and pastel mostly reflect the text directly, adding a layer of stillness and calm to the overall subdued tale. All characters are light-skinned.
A realistically somber—if less than compelling—snapshot of a summer marked by sadness and uneasiness. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 3, 2025
ISBN: 9781525310256
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle...
Making things is difficult work. Readers will recognize the stages of this young heroine’s experience as she struggles to realize her vision.
First comes anticipation. The artist/engineer is spotted jauntily pulling a wagonload of junkyard treasures. Accompanied by her trusty canine companion, she begins drawing plans and building an assemblage. The narration has a breezy tone: “[S]he makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!” The colorful caricatures and creations contrast with the digital black outlines on a white background that depict an urban neighborhood. Intermittent blue-gray panels break up the white expanses on selected pages showing sequential actions. When the first piece doesn’t turn out as desired, the protagonist tries again, hoping to achieve magnificence. A model of persistence, she tries many adjustments; the vocabulary alone offers constructive behaviors: she “tinkers,” “wrenches,” “fiddles,” “examines,” “stares” and “tweaks.” Such hard work, however, combines with disappointing results, eventually leading to frustration, anger and injury. Explosive emotions are followed by defeat, portrayed with a small font and scaled-down figures. When the dog, whose expressions have humorously mirrored his owner’s through each phase, retrieves his leash, the resulting stroll serves them well. A fresh perspective brings renewed enthusiasm and—spoiler alert—a most magnificent scooter sidecar for a loyal assistant.
Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle characterization for maximum delight. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-55453-704-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2014
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BOOK REVIEW
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
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