A wonderful resource for those who work (and play) with young children.
A beloved children’s-book character explores her creative side and encourages children to get crafty.
Super-simple directions and projects make these crafts a breeze for young children. The materials lists include items that are common household objects (but if you don’t have something, not to worry—Cousins encourages you to substitute something else). This laid-back attitude pervades the entire book, which seems designed for maximum creativity. The photos of Cousins’ finished projects are a standout for their imperfection—childlike, they do not look intimidating to children who cannot replicate the more polished look of adults’ crafts. The 17 projects are ideal for young children—they encourage creative play and can be used as decorations or given as gifts, and most do not require the use of anything more dangerous than the recommended rounded safety scissors. They include a cardboard-box house, tissue-paper flowers, a pencil holder, painted pebbles, paper lanterns, a pasta necklace, colorful cookies (decorating already-made cookies) and a feathery mask. Each project is presented on a two-page spread, with a close-up view of the finished product on one side and directions and materials list on the other. Scattered throughout are Cousins’ gouache illustrations of Maisy at work and play. Bright primary colors and simple backgrounds and details keep the focus on the craft projects.
A wonderful resource for those who work (and play) with young children. (Craft book. 2-8)Pub Date: July 10, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6122-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2012
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
A nice but not requisite purchase.
A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.
Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.
A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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