Sincere and serene, with masterful, atmospheric illustrations.
Three anthropomorphic squirrel siblings explore the diminishingly snowy landscape of their forest home in this picture book.
First published in Japan in 1985, author/illustrator Iwamura’s quiet story has a timeless and ethereal feel. While the story is cutely ingenuous, the main appeal is the masterful watercolor illustrations, which are all full-bleed, double-page spreads rendered in a soft gray-green palette for the woods, while the squirrel protagonists, dressed in old-fashioned clothing (think Beatrix Potter), are rendered in complementary soft oranges and browns. The landscapes are gently layered; the pale branches of trees overlap and become darker as the perspective moves closer to viewers; the overall effect is one of deep, magical atmosphere. Three young squirrel siblings, Mack, Molly, and Mick, go out exploring in the melting snow and are curious about where the snow goes. They see a floating log and hop on, drifting (now anxiously) to a large pond, where they are rescued by some mallards, who tell them that the melted snow “goes to a river and then to the sea…it’s a time of rebirth.” The rhyming text, translated from the Japanese into German by Rose Pflock and then into English by Wilson, has a few awkward moments when it reaches for the rhyme as well as some disjointed areas. Still, it mostly succeeds at creating a lilting tone while getting across the deeper theme of the rebirth of spring, which is presented without fanfare or sanctimony.
Sincere and serene, with masterful, atmospheric illustrations. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4345-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: Nov. 20, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A nursery charmer.
A pink-cheeked version of a song most everyone knows, with new verses highlighting cozy animal dyads across the world.
The bright yellow and red owlet with its parent opens the lullaby with the verse we all know. Next a papa deer and fawn in the forest, a whale and calf in the sea, a kangaroo and joey in the outback, vulture and chick and so on, each filling a two-page spread. The verse mirrors the pictures: “Glisten, glisten, little star, / how I wonder what you are. / Up above the grassy plain …” shows a papa lion and cub, and on the next spread—“…through the warm, wet jungle rain”—a pair of rosy-cheeked monkeys. The five-pointed, butter-gold star is prominently visible on every spread. Color and line are thick and bold, while all of the animals, from polar bears to pussy cats, have button eyes and the suggestion of human smiles. The final verse (“Twinkle over towns and trees, / fields and farms, / Lakes and seas”) shows just such a vista, with lollipop trees, a building-block city and a little red lighthouse. The concluding spread, “Twinkle, twinkle, up above … // … for me and for / the one I love” pictures that bright star on one page facing a golden-haired mother and child. The music for this venerable tune is on the back endpaper.
A nursery charmer. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Aug. 15, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8234-2519-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: June 12, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Young listeners of all stripes (and species) will enjoy this warmhearted celebration of literacy and imagination.
An enthusiastic reader teaches his two cats to appreciate books, though it takes extra effort to interest one of them in the endeavor.
Nick is a round-headed, early-elementary-sized, brown-skinned child with a fluff of curly hair and two cats, Verne and Stevenson. All three enjoy frolicking together, but when Nick wants to read, one cat ignores him, and the other sprawls on the volume open in his lap (a habit that will be familiar to cat lovers of all ages). The latter, Verne, a small cat with orange-and-brown stripes and a cheerful disposition, is amenable to Nick’s instruction. “But not Stevenson,” who frowns, runs away, and even hisses. When Nick and Verne discover Stevenson’s fascination with pirates, however, they have the hook they need. Nick’s efforts are both logical and methodical, and once he has achieved his goal, he and his feline friends find ways to incorporate their favorite stories into all kinds of imaginative play. Manley’s conversational text flows smoothly and has a matter-of-fact tone that grounds the fantastical elements. Berube’s charmingly childlike art, created in ink, Flashe paint, and acrylic paint, captures the cats’ personalities perfectly and creates a cozy, everyday world with just enough amusing details to reward repeat readings.
Young listeners of all stripes (and species) will enjoy this warmhearted celebration of literacy and imagination. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-3569-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: April 12, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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