An engaging tale of laughter versus grumpiness, illustrated in a nostalgic style.
A plague of grouchy creatures infests a small town in this debut rhyming picture book.
It’s a normal day in a quiet town when the Grumbles arrive: “They made the town folk gloomy and glum, / With the grumbly effect they had on everyone.” But the townspeople don’t want to be grumpy, so they come up with ideas on how to get rid of the creatures. First, they yell at the Grumbles. Unfortunately, the shouts only make the creatures dig in deeper. Eventually, a child suggests making the Grumbles laugh. The residents agree to give it a try, and one man with a long mustache starts telling a knock-knock joke. After the Grumbles back away, the people laugh harder, and when one kid dances, the creatures flee. Page’s rhymes start as a three-line pattern and move to a four-line one, keeping a consistent scansion. With a few intriguing vocabulary words (tolerate, recoil, foiled) to keep children on their toes, the poetry should appeal to young independent readers and lap readers. Templer’s charming, old-fashioned illustrations feature a populace with different skin tones and body types, all troubled by the blobby Grumbles. The creatures have frowning mouths, sharp teeth, and ratlike noses. While the author’s message that grumpiness can be driven away through laughter and music is a familiar moral, the simple delivery and the folk-tale quality of the enjoyable story should strike a positive note with young readers.
An engaging tale of laughter versus grumpiness, illustrated in a nostalgic style.Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5434-9583-6
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Xlibris Corp
Review Posted Online: Aug. 12, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Laugh-out-loud fun for all.
Hilarious complications ensue when Nanette’s mom gives her the responsibility of buying the family baguette.
She sets out on her errand and encounters lots of distractions along the way as she meets and greets Georgette, Suzette, Bret with his clarinet, Mr. Barnett and his pet, Antoinette. But she remembers her mission and buys the baguette from Juliette the baker. And oh, it is a wonderful large, warm, aromatic hunk of bread, so Nanette takes a taste and another and more—until there is nothing left. Maybe she needs to take a jet to Tibet. But she faces her mother and finds understanding, tenderness, and a surprise twist. Willems is at his outlandish best with line after line of “ettes” and their absurd rhymes, all the while demonstrating a deep knowledge of children’s thought processes. Nanette and the entire cast of characters are bright green frogs with very large round eyes, heavily outlined in black and clad in eccentric clothing and hats. A highly detailed village constructed of cardboard forms the background for Nanette’s adventures. Her every emotion explodes all over the pages in wildly expressive, colorful vignettes and an eye-popping use of emphatic display type. The endpapers follow the fate of the baguette from fresh and whole to chewed and gone. Demands for encores will surely follow.
Laugh-out-loud fun for all. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 25, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4847-2286-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An appealing and beautifully illustrated educational tale celebrating animals and the great outdoors.
A child enjoys nature and hopes to see a moose in this counting book.
Oscar and his parents look for a moose on their trail walk. Along the way, they count down from 10 to one, emphasizing things they come across. For example, “six chipmunks scurry by,” and they spy “four branches in the breeze.” After Oscar notices “three hoofprints,” he hopes they indicate that a moose is nearby. But he is disappointed when they still haven’t spotted one. As the family packs up and gets ready to go home, Oscar is elated to see a moose standing by the car. As they try to stay still, the boy’s mother photographs a smiling Oscar atop his father’s shoulders. Hersey’s text features jaunty language (“Creak. Crack. Timber! Slam!”), which will keep readers engaged. The book introduces various elements children might see in nature, such as beavers building a dam. Halsey’s illustrations feature brush strokes, distinctive textures, and light-skinned humans. The greenery, a serene pond, and the realistic animal portrayals are especially nice. Subtext is cleverly incorporated. The numbers mentioned in the story are artfully embedded in the images. For instance, the phrase “seven slimy worms” has an accompanying picture depicting a worm shaped like that numeral. Also included is an illustration showing the exact locations of the numbers. Key words are often in boldface or shaped. For example, the words Squiggle! Squirm! are curved.
An appealing and beautifully illustrated educational tale celebrating animals and the great outdoors.Pub Date: Nov. 24, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-73230-204-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: McSea Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 23, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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