Daddy strums his guitar as he sees his little girl off to sleep by singing her a unique song. Fanciful and lit with whimsy, it begins, “If ice cream cones fall from the sky, / And cats grow wings and start to fly,” and soars from there. Joyful, brimming pictures are evocative and intimate. Each illustration shows the creatures in bright, dreamscape colors and doing perfectly impossible things while the little girl, always in her soft pajamas, plays along. In this evocative tune, frogs go shopping and dogs play checkers; there are elephants riding carousels and kangaroos baking birthday cakes. Some animals are inspired by the child’s room, while others seem to be pulled from thin air. This lullaby paints the world as just this side of ordinary. It offers a wonderful view into cherished times between father and daughter as he promises, “Your daddy’s here, and he loves you.” Capturing a heartwarming moment as tuck-in time becomes a cozy, loving ritual. (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: May 1, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-8050-6975-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2007
Through quick thinking and personal sacrifice, a wise old Japanese farmer saves the people of his village from a devastating tsunami in this simple yet striking story based on Lafcadio Hearn’s “A Living God.” Ojiisan lives in a cottage on a mountain overlooking the village and sea. One day, villagers gather to celebrate the rice harvest, but Ojiisan stays home thinking “something does not feel right.” When the earth quakes and the sea darkens and runs away from the land, Ojiisan realizes a tsunami approaches. Fearing the oblivious villagers will be swept away, Ojiisan torches his rice fields to attract attention, and they respond, barely escaping the monster wave. Rendered in gouache, pastel and collage, Young’s illustrations cleverly combine natural textures, bold colors and abstract shapes to convey compelling images of chaos and disaster as the rice fields burn and the wave rushes in. In one literally breathtaking double-page spread, an enormous wall of water engulfs the teeny seacoast village. A visually powerful and dramatic tribute to one man’s willingness to sacrifice everything for others. (Picture book. 3-5)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-399-25006-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2008
BOOK REVIEW
Momo longed to carry the blue umbrella and wear the bright red rubber boots she had been given on her third birthday. But day after day Indian summer continued. Momo tried to tell mother she needed to carry the umbrella to nursery school because the sunshine bothered her eyes. But Mother didn't let her use the umbrella then or when she said the wind bothered her. At last, though, rain fell on the city pavements and Momo carried her umbrella and wore her red boots to school. One feels the urgency of Momo's wish. The pictures are full of the city's moods and the child's joy in a rainy day.
Pub Date: March 1, 1958
ISBN: 978-0-14-050240-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Dec. 9, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1958
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