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NANA IN THE CITY

A sweet story for country-mouse readers.

A child learns to appreciate Nana’s urban environs.

Nana has a new apartment in the city, and her grandchild is excited but nervous about visiting. “I love my nana, / but I don’t love the city,” she tells readers. Accompanying art depicts how the city seems “busy” and “loud” and “filled with scary things.” Illustrating the last point, the picture shows the child small and scared against a graffitied wall while following Nana and looking back at a homeless man who is begging with a cup held before him. That night, Nana listens to her grandchild’s fears and promises a better day, but she also describes her love of the city. A facing wordless spread depicts Nana knitting into the night; careful readers may recognize the red yarn from a title-page vignette of two cats with a ball of yarn. The next day, she gifts her grandchild a knitted red cape (the same one depicted in jacket art). This acts as a security blanket or magical talisman of sorts to change the child’s perspective of the city. Even an encounter with the previously “scary” homeless person becomes an opportunity for kindness as Nana hands him not money, but food. Throughout, Castillo’s soft, warmly colored art expresses the child’s changing feelings about the city while also depicting the characters’ close bond.

A sweet story for country-mouse readers. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-544-10443-3

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Clarion Books

Review Posted Online: June 24, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2014

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WHAT CAN A MESS MAKE?

An imaginative snapshot of daily life that elevates domestic messes into a soothing lullaby.

Two siblings make messes throughout the day, with sweet and fun results.

Berries and chocolate mousse are a delicious treat for the children, even as they leave syrup spills in their wake, while crumbs from an outdoor tea party become a feast for ants and squirrels. Repurposed boxes, tins, and a hose are transformed into musical instruments, and cushions and blankets turn into a classic pillow fort. Sometimes messes result in treasured items accidentally getting broken and the two siblings squabbling, but things—and bonds—can soon be mended or made into something new. Johnson’s rhyming text pairs with homey artwork depicting a rustic setting. As each scenario unfolds, the author/illustrator lists various objects—“magic markers. / Missing caps. / Glue and pom-poms”—before revealing the project the protagonists have been working on. The repetitive ebbing and flowing pattern of the words and the narrative establishes a calming tone that sets up the characters and readers alike for a well-earned bedtime, though the mess doesn’t end here: Time for a pillow fight! The eye-catching details in the artwork and the question of what each mess will evolve into keep the book as engaging as it is cozy. Characters present white.

An imaginative snapshot of daily life that elevates domestic messes into a soothing lullaby. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: Aug. 20, 2024

ISBN: 9781250900241

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Henry Holt

Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024

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BEAR FINDS EGGS

From the Bear Books series

Cheery fun that will leave series fans “egg”-static.

In his latest outing, Bear and his pals go in search of eggs.

Bear “lumbers with his friends through the Strawberry Vale.” Raven finds a nest; climbing up, “The bear finds eggs!”: a refrain that appears throughout. Instead of eating the robin’s eggs, however, Bear leaves a gift of dried berries in the nest for the “soon-to-be-chicks.” Next, the friends find 10 mallard eggs (as bright blue as the robin’s), and Bear leaves sunflower seeds. Then the wail of Mama Meadowlark, whose bright yellow undercarriage strikes a warm golden note, leads them to promise to find her lost eggs. With his friends’ assistance, Bear finds one, and they decide to paint them “so they aren’t lost again.” Another is discovered, painted, and placed in Hare’s basket. After hours of persistent searching, Bear suddenly spots the remaining two eggs “in a small patch of clover.” Before they can return these eggs, the chicks hatch and rejoin their mother. Back at his lair, Bear, with his troupe, is visited by all 17 chicks and the robin, mallard, and meadowlark moms: “And the bear finds friends!” Though this sweet spring tale centers on finding and painting eggs, it makes no overt references to Easter. The soft green and blue acrylics, predictable rhymes, and rolling rhythm make this series installment another low-key natural read-aloud.

Cheery fun that will leave series fans “egg”-static. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: Jan. 16, 2024

ISBN: 9781665936552

Page Count: 40

Publisher: McElderry

Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024

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