Two mouse cousins disagree about the best way to camp in this picture book.
Thomas Tent-Mouse and his cousin Harvey RV-Mouse both enjoy outdoor fun, but each believes that his is “the only way to camp.” When Thomas invites Harvey on a trip, he says they’ll be fine. Harvey doubts this, “but he loved his cousin so he agreed.” By day, they have a delightful time, but Harvey is nervous hearing all the night noises, and the tent leaks on him during a rainstorm. On their next trip, Thomas agrees to do it Harvey’s way because he also loves his cousin. They have wonderful adventures, but at night, Thomas feels cut off from nature, even when it rains. Finally, the cousins agree that during their next escapade, Thomas will stay in his tent and Harvey in his RV, and they’ll both have a good time. Sponsler, as in her first book, Goodnight, Campsite (2015), helps prepare kids for the outdoor experience here. More than that, the tale celebrates friendship and acknowledges that tastes vary: “It’s okay to like different things.” The story charms through effective repetition, evocative writing, and appreciation for nature. Gutkovskiy provides lovely, skillful ink-and-watercolor illustrations full of expression and appealing details.
An affirming animal tale with engaging writing and lovable characters.Pub Date: Nov. 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-951633-01-1
Page Count: 34
Publisher: Kids Camping Books
Review Posted Online: June 4, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S HEALTH & DAILY LIVING
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A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY
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A comical, fresh look at crayons and color
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Duncan wants to draw, but instead of crayons, he finds a stack of letters listing the crayons’ demands in this humorous tale.
Red is overworked, laboring even on holidays. Gray is exhausted from coloring expansive spaces (elephants, rhinos and whales). Black wants to be considered a color-in color, and Peach? He’s naked without his wrapper! This anthropomorphized lot amicably requests workplace changes in hand-lettered writing, explaining their work stoppage to a surprised Duncan. Some are tired, others underutilized, while a few want official titles. With a little creativity and a lot of color, Duncan saves the day. Jeffers delivers energetic and playful illustrations, done in pencil, paint and crayon. The drawings are loose and lively, and with few lines, he makes his characters effectively emote. Clever spreads, such as Duncan’s “white cat in the snow” perfectly capture the crayons’ conundrum, and photographic representations of both the letters and coloring pages offer another layer of texture, lending to the tale’s overall believability.
A comical, fresh look at crayons and color . (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: June 27, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-399-25537-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2013
Categories: CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS
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