by Katie Cleminson ; illustrated by Katie Cleminson ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 23, 2009
With a keen understanding of the truth that the box a present comes in is often the best part of the gift, Cleminson makes a lively story with winsome illustrations. For her birthday, Eva receives a box labeled “handle with care / contains magic.” Climbing in, she pops out in a black cloak and holding a magic wand. Her first trick is to conjure a pet called Monty, who turns out to be a full-size polar bear. She pulls many rabbits out of a hat and magics them into the air, along with party food and a group of (animal) musicians. Eva and her menagerie are boldly drawn in thick, black line and gray wash (her shirt has orange stripes), while the dance, the music and the air are filled with cheerful splotches and blots of red, orange, pink, blues and browns on the same white ground as the figures. When everyone’s tired from all that dancing, Eva “click[s] her fingers” and it all disappears. Except Monty. A little odd and more than a little engaging. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: June 23, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4231-2109-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2009
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by Teresa Heapy ; illustrated by Katie Cleminson
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by Katie Cleminson & illustrated by Katie Cleminson
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by Katie Cleminson & illustrated by Katie Cleminson
by Alex Vern & illustrated by Alex Vern ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2001
The lifecycle of the frog is succinctly summarized in this easy reader for children reading at the late first-grade level. In just one or two sentences per page, Vern details the amazing metamorphosis of the frog from egg to tadpole to adult, even injecting a little humor despite the tight word count. (“Watch out fly! Mmmm!) Large, full-color photographs on white backgrounds clearly illustrate each phase of development. Without any mention of laying eggs or fertilization, the title might be a bit misleading, but the development from black dot egg to full-grown frog is fascinating. A simple chart of the three main lifecycle steps is also included. Lifecycles are part of the standard curriculum in the early elementary grades, and this will be a welcome addition to school and public libraries, both for its informational value and as an easy reader. (Nonfiction/easy reader. 5-7)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-15-216304-2
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Green Light/Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2001
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by Aaron Reynolds ; illustrated by Peter Brown ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 23, 2022
Chilling in the best ways.
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When a young rabbit who’s struggling in school finds a helpful crayon, everything is suddenly perfect—until it isn’t.
Jasper is flunking everything except art and is desperate for help when he finds the crayon. “Purple. Pointy…perfect”—and alive. When Jasper watches TV instead of studying, he misspells every word on his spelling test, but the crayon seems to know the answers, and when he uses the crayon to write, he can spell them all. When he faces a math quiz after skipping his homework, the crayon aces it for him. Jasper is only a little creeped out until the crayon changes his art—the one area where Jasper excels—into something better. As guilt-ridden Jasper receives accolade after accolade for grades and work that aren’t his, the crayon becomes more and more possessive of Jasper’s attention and affection, and it is only when Jasper cannot take it anymore that he discovers just what he’s gotten himself into. Reynolds’ text might as well be a Rod Serling monologue for its perfectly paced foreboding and unsettling tension, both gentled by lightly ominous humor. Brown goes all in to match with a grayscale palette for everything but the purple crayon—a callback to black-and-white sci-fi thrillers as much as a visual cue for nascent horror readers. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Chilling in the best ways. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 23, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6588-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2022
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by Aaron Reynolds ; illustrated by Cam Kendell
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by Aaron Reynolds ; illustrated by Cam Kendell
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