When a boy reads a book about birds, his imagination takes flight. Multicolored acrylic paintings on bright, spare backgrounds narrow the focus straight to the boy and his dreams of taking wing with some colorful feathered friends. When asked, the boy’s father explains that the boy can’t fly because he doesn’t have wings—he has arms and hands instead. More “why” questions follow, resulting in the boy being hugged, swung and tossed, until he soars through the air with the help of his father. The minimal, dialogue-only text works well, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the illustrations and perhaps add some description of their own. Sitting together in an armchair, the boy and his father then embark on a new reading selection about fish. Questions about fins seem sure to follow! An engaging and effective father-son story in which the main characters are black and race is not presented as an issue, this is a charming introduction to the worlds of books, birds and imagination, and an apt choice for parent-child reading. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: March 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-56145-430-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2009
In lyrical rhyming verse, Spinelli (When Mama Comes Home, 1998) has captured the affectionate ritual of a father and young daughter as they prepare for bedtime. In this tender and moving picture book, Daddy reads a good-night story to his daughter as they cuddle together in the rocking chair. Later, Daddy tucks in his sleepy child with kisses on the nose, asking, “How cozy are those toes?” As Daddy leaves for his nightshift job, he is unaware that his daughter is seeing him safely off from her darkened bedroom window. She drifts into slumber happily imagining her father at work. As the sun rises and Daddy returns home, we see a charming reversal of last night's routine as the little girl tucks her father under the covers and fluffs his pillow before going out to play. In this cozy lap-read each full-page illustration is exquisitely rendered in deep, rich tones sure to invoke sweet dreams. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: April 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-7868-0495-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2000
An enchanting tale from Fox (Boo to a Goose, 1998, etc.), about a mother bear readying her six little cubs for their long winter snooze. With the onset of cooler weather, Mother Bear lures her bustling offspring into bed with the promise of one final bedtime rhyme for each sibling. With her cubs tucked in around her, Mother Bear recites lullaby poems that are as unique as the little one she is addressing. She serenades her tots with tales of swashbuckling pirates, daring trapeze artists, regal queens, and indulgent sultans. Fox’s honeyed verses resonate with a mother’s love and consummate understanding of her child’s individualism. “Moonbeams touch your precious face/And stars float by with gentle grace.” Argent’s amber-hued illustrations tenderly capture the cozy comfort of the bear family as they snuggle into bed by candlelight, while the more vividly colored pictures reflect the dream world Mother Bear creates. A bewitching collection of sleepy time rhymes. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-15-202016-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1999
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