Visually dynamic; textually functional.
An Israeli painter can’t muster inspiration for his job, but he gets unexpected help.
The mayor wants Shmulik to paint a mural and decorate the town park for Yom Ha’Atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day. Holding his stylized, curvy arms so his hands meet at his chin, Shmulik looks honored and humbled. His studio’s a cheerful mess of paintings—on the floor, on an easel, propped behind sinks—and one dog bed holding a smiling, white, long-snouted dachshund. Each day, Shmulik means to begin the public-art project; each day, he lacks inspiration and looks at the clouds or buys a challah instead. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Shmulik, Ezra the wiggly dachshund—wearing orange-rimmed glasses and a diamond-patterned sweater—is hard at work. Ezra completes the project, and the fest is a success. Though Rose’s text is little better than workmanlike, Echeverri playfully offsets color (Shmulik’s multicolored, daub-textured jacket; his rosy pink cheeks; Ezra’s paint everywhere) with black and white (a softly nubbed gray rug; plants; Shmulik’s pants and hat). One face on the finished mural is brown, though the entire festival crowd is white. A shop sign in Hebrew and the mayor’s Hebrew thank you to Shmulik place the town in Israel. Rose never explains Yom Ha’Atzmaut; the holiday is simply present as a premise, implying an audience familiar with Israeli culture and history.
Visually dynamic; textually functional. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4677-5239-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kar-Ben
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Fans of this popular series will find this a rewarding addition to family Easter celebrations.
Bergren and Bryant attempt to explain Easter to young children in a gentle, nonthreatening manner, with partial success.
When Little Cub questions her father about Easter, Papa Bear explains the religious significance of the holiday in various symbolic ways to his cub. He uses familiar things from their world, such as an egg and a fallen tree, to draw parallels with aspects of the Christian story. Papa Bear discusses his close relationships with Jesus and God, encouraging Little Cub to communicate with God on her own. The theme focuses on the renewal of life and the positive aspects of loving God and Jesus. Easter is presented as a celebration of eternal life, but the story skirts the issue of the crucifixion entirely. Some adults will find this an inadequate or even dishonest approach to the Easter story, but others will appreciate the calm and soothing text as a way to begin to understand a difficult subject. Bryant’s charming watercolor illustrations of the polar bear family, their cozy home and snowy forest scenes add to the overall mellow effect.
Fans of this popular series will find this a rewarding addition to family Easter celebrations. (Religion/picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 15, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-307-73072-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: WaterBrook
Review Posted Online: Dec. 11, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2013
Though it will never usurp Dr. Seuss, it will still find a home where Christian families of faith seek inspirational picture...
Turner adds another title to his picture-book series that highlights the miracles in the mundane (When God Made Light, 2018, etc.).
In the vein of children’s-bookshelf stalwart Oh, the Places You’ll Go, Turner’s rhyming text includes both prayers and life advice for a growing child, beginning with infancy and moving on to adolescence. At times the rhyme and meter are strained, muddling meaning and making the tempo feel occasionally awkward when read aloud. Overall, though, the book executes its mission, presenting Christian theological truths within the rhythmic inspirational text. For this third series installment Turner’s text is paired with a new illustrator, whose bright illustrations of wide-eyed children have great shelf appeal. While David Catrow’s previous illustrations in the series featured effervescent black protagonists, the child in Barnes’ illustrations appears white, though she occupies an otherwise diverse world. While illustrated as a prayer from a mother for her daughter, the text itself is gender neutral.
Though it will never usurp Dr. Seuss, it will still find a home where Christian families of faith seek inspirational picture books. (Picture book/religion. 3-6)Pub Date: Feb. 19, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-52565058-4
Page Count: 48
Publisher: WaterBrook
Review Posted Online: Dec. 4, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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