by Katie Brosnan ; illustrated by Katie Brosnan ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 15, 2020
A sweet story of self-actualization about a kind being who defies cat-egorization.
A quirky critter finds birds of a feather.
Keith is a vibrant orange cat who likes all the things other cats like: napping, bathing, and bird-watching…in his own way. Rejected by his kin, he decides to pursue his preference for the company of pigeons and spends his time on a bench on the park writing lists of their good qualities (“Pigeons have a great time…THEY CAN FLY”) and composing “Hi-coos:” “Flapping wings so free, / It’s the pigeon way to be / Would they accept me?” Struggling to make an introduction, Keith sets out to be “a bit more pigeon” and ends up painting himself pigeon blue after a charming montage featuring a fabulous feather boa. This plan works with flying colors until it starts to rain. Keith then tries to be a “proper cat” to no avail, and he eventually, predictably, learns that perhaps being himself was the best option all along—not a cat, not a pigeon...Keith. Brosnan’s luminous illustrations are lively and endearing, with a printlike look, keeping the story well-paced by alternating between spot illustrations and spreads. A fresh take on a well-worn subject, this British import deserves a soft spot in the heart of anyone feeling out of place, be it for their identity or due to a particular fondness for rock doves.
A sweet story of self-actualization about a kind being who defies cat-egorization. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-78628-344-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Child's Play
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
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by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016
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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by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings
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by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino
by Jory John ; illustrated by Pete Oswald ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 7, 2023
From curds to riches, from meltdown to uplift—this multicourse romp delivers.
A winning wheel of cheddar with braggadocio to match narrates a tale of comeuppance and redemption.
From humble beginnings among kitchen curds living “quiet lives of pasteurization,” the Big Cheese longs to be the best and builds success and renown based on proven skills and dependable results: “I stuck to the things I was good at.” When newcomer Wedge moves to the village of Curds-on-Whey, the Cheese’s star status wobbles and falls. Turns out that quiet, modest Wedge is also multitalented. At the annual Cheese-cathlon, Wedge bests six-time winner Cheese in every event, from the footrace and chess to hat making and bread buttering. A disappointed Cheese throws a full-blown tantrum before arriving at a moment of truth: Self-calming, conscious breathing permits deep relief that losing—even badly—does not result in disaster. A debrief with Wedge “that wasn’t all about me” leads to further realizations: Losing builds empathy for others; obsession with winning obscures “the joy of participating.” The chastened cheddar learns to reserve bragging for lifting up friends, because anyone can be the Big Cheese. More didactic and less pun-rich than previous entries in the Food Group series, this outing nevertheless couples a cheerful refrain with pithy life lessons that hit home. Oswald’s detailed, comical illustrations continue to provide laughs, including a spot with Cheese onstage doing a “CHED” talk.
From curds to riches, from meltdown to uplift—this multicourse romp delivers. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9780063329508
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
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by Jory John ; illustrated by Olivier Tallec
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by Jory John ; illustrated by Erin Kraan
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