A sweet morality tale of cosmic misadventures and sibling rivalry.
After jealousy dims their affections, sisters learn to let love shine in this original tale that is redolent of folklore.
Sun and Moon, nearly identical apart from the details of their matching red dresses, argue repeatedly over which of them is more beloved by humans. To settle this debate once and for all, the pale-skinned, dark-eyed, rosy-cheeked little girls with silvery locks decide to trade places. The results are as expected, with weary children finally begging Moon to offer them respite from the blistering heat, and then, when dawn does not come, desperately wishing for Sun to return to warm the Earth. The children deliver a message to the bewildered duo, explaining that they matter equally and should focus on performing their respective duties, after which all is once again right both on Earth and in the heavens. In this book translated from the French, some illustrations hint at the author/illustrator’s Vietnamese origins, for example showing a dark-haired girl fishing with a bamboo pole and a child wearing a conical Southeast Asian–style hat. The story unfolds predictably in the manner of traditional pourquoi tales, and the prose is plain and serviceable. It is the illustrations that stand out, their jewel tones, elegant lines, and complex textures managing to look simultaneously contemporary and timeless.
A sweet morality tale of cosmic misadventures and sibling rivalry. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 11, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-60887-732-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Insight Kids
Review Posted Online: June 27, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Unusual illustrations enhance an engaging, informative narrative.
What can a worm do?
A little worm sets off on a “twirl” to “see the world.” But when it overhears a human referring to it as “just a worm,” its feelings are hurt. The worm asks other critters—including a caterpillar, a spider, a dragonfly—what they can do. After each answer (turn into a butterfly, spin silk thread, fly), the worm becomes more and more dejected because it can’t do any of these things. “Maybe I am just a worm.” But then the worm encounters a ladybug, who eats aphids and other insects, and the worm realizes that it eats dead plants and animals and keeps gardens clean. And though the worm can’t pollinate like the bee, it does create castings (poop) that help plants grow and stay healthy. These abilities, the worm realizes in triumph, are important! The cleverness of this story lies in its lighthearted, effective dissemination of information about various insects as well as earthworms. It doesn’t hurt that the expressive little worm is downright adorable, with emotions that will resonate with anyone who has felt unimportant. The stunning illustrations are done in quilled paper—a centuries-old technique that involves assembling strips of colored paper into shapes—which adds sparkle and originality. A tutorial of how to make a quilled butterfly and a page on earthworm facts round out the book. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Unusual illustrations enhance an engaging, informative narrative. (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 14, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-06-321256-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
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