A didactic lesson couched in humor and fantasy, it will delight young children, but it’s anyone’s guess they’ll learn the...
“I want….I want…!” Caregivers who find these words all too familiar may find this etiquette book useful.
There are two main characters—a pigtailed little girl and a prim, mustachioed gentleman in an orange tuxedo (is he her father, a genie, or a random gentleman on the street, readers may wonder); both are depicted with paper-white skin. In every scene, the girl is corrected when she yells, “I want….I want…!” She learns that if she asks nicely and says “please,” she’ll get what she wants—and more! “Please say ‘please.’ and you’ll brighten my day. / But if you say, ‘I WANT,’ I’ll just walk away,” the gentleman says. When the girl’s politely worded request for a giant is rewarded, the tables are turned. “I want to PLAY!” screams the giant. “WAIT! Please say ‘please,’ and you might get your way,” she replies as his foot hovers over her head. Speech bubbles and bold, bright brush strokes evoke the comic strips of yesteryear, while the dialogue-only rhyming text sets a brisk pace. Overall, the story has admirable objectives, but it could mislead. “Please say ‘please’ and I’ll grant any wish,” may give kids the impression that just as long as they say “please,” they’ll get anything and everything they want, a misconception bound to lead to disappointment.
A didactic lesson couched in humor and fantasy, it will delight young children, but it’s anyone’s guess they’ll learn the lesson intended . (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 26, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-545-84485-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 29, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2016
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
WOO-HOO! This is the perfect way to foster healthy self-esteem in little ones.
What’s better than a cheerleading chicken?
Are you ever blue, unsure, tired, or overworked? Do you ever feel lost or overwhelmed? This uplifting book, expressed in delightful, jaunty verse, explains how to lift your spirits pronto: What you need is a booster chicken telling you’re doing great even when you’re not so confident, as when you’re learning or practicing a new skill, for instance. Your feathered champion will be right there, encouraging you all the way, with a loud “WOO HOO!” that’ll keep you going and remove any doubt you’re super terrific. But what if your cheerful chick errs and doesn’t do what it set out to do? Don’t worry—your cheery chicken just needs a reminder that everyone makes mistakes. That alone is a pep talk, enhanced by the wisdom that making mistakes allows everyone to learn and demonstrate they did their best. So forgive yourself, chickens! But the best thing is…instead of relying on someone else—like a chicken—to strengthen your ego, say a generous daily “WOO HOO!” to yourself. This riotous book hits all the right notes and does so succinctly and hilariously. The energetic, comical illustrations, in Boynton’s signature style, will elicit giggles and go far to make the book’s important point. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
WOO-HOO! This is the perfect way to foster healthy self-esteem in little ones. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-316-48679-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2023
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