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BEYOND THE FENCE

Name: BEYOND THE FENCE
Author: Maria Gulemetova
ISBN: 978-1-84643-931-5

by Maria Gulemetova ; illustrated by Maria Gulemetova ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2018

A clear message wrapped in an enigmatic story with lovely illustrations

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A pig who lives in the lap of luxury learns to walk on the wild side.

Piggy is an anthropomorphic pig who lives in an imposing country house with a human boy named Thomas. Thomas dresses Piggy as he wants, makes Piggy play what he wants, and talks Piggy’s ear off. A visit from Thomas’ cousin brings Piggy some relief, and he explores outside the house, encountering Wild Pig. Wild Pig is puzzled by Piggy’s clothes but is friendly, inviting his domestic cousin for a run. Piggy declines, returning to the confinement of the home. Eventually the cousin leaves, and Piggy must bear the brunt of Thomas’ attention himself—at which point he leaves Thomas’ tea party, sheds his clothes, and goes beyond the fence to join Wild Pig. Gulemetova’s quirky little tale tantalizes with its ellipses: How does Piggy come to live with Thomas? Where are Thomas’ parents? But even as it leaves questions dangling, it entrances young readers with its expansive, atmospheric illustrations. Inside Thomas’ house it’s all straight lines and sterile rooms; outside, the horizon is far away, and green hills beckon. Though children may find the idea of a talking pet pig who does what they demand thrilling, they will also see Thomas’ cruelty and, perhaps, examine themselves for similar self-centeredness. Thomas has beige skin.

A clear message wrapped in an enigmatic story with lovely illustrations . (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: April 1, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-84643-931-5

Page Count: 36

Publisher: Child's Play

Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: June 21, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Jim Valeri

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by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

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by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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MANGO, ABUELA, AND ME

by Meg Medina ; illustrated by Angela Dominguez ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 25, 2015

This warm family story is a splendid showcase for the combined talents of Medina, a Pura Belpré award winner, and Dominguez,...

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Abuela is coming to stay with Mia and her parents. But how will they communicate if Mia speaks little Spanish and Abuela, little English? Could it be that a parrot named Mango is the solution?

The measured, evocative text describes how Mia’s español is not good enough to tell Abuela the things a grandmother should know. And Abuela’s English is too poquito to tell Mia all the stories a granddaughter wants to hear. Mia sets out to teach her Abuela English. A red feather Abuela has brought with her to remind her of a wild parrot that roosted in her mango trees back home gives Mia an idea. She and her mother buy a parrot they name Mango. And as Abuela and Mia teach Mango, and each other, to speak both Spanish and English, their “mouths [fill] with things to say.” The accompanying illustrations are charmingly executed in ink, gouache, and marker, “with a sprinkling of digital magic.” They depict a cheery urban neighborhood and a comfortable, small apartment. Readers from multigenerational immigrant families will recognize the all-too-familiar language barrier. They will also cheer for the warm and loving relationship between Abuela and Mia, which is evident in both text and illustrations even as the characters struggle to understand each other. A Spanish-language edition, Mango, Abuela, y yo, gracefully translated by Teresa Mlawer, publishes simultaneously.

This warm family story is a splendid showcase for the combined talents of Medina, a Pura Belpré award winner, and Dominguez, an honoree. (Picture book. 4-7)