A cogent reminder that grumpiness is fleeting.
A tortoise who wakes up on the wrong side of the bed finds plenty of reasons to smile in the course of one day.
The titular tortoise starts the day with an easily recognized scowl, but each successive double-page spread shows it enjoying an array of pleasing activities and feeling progressively “a little less grumpy.” It’s a useful lesson in the principle that “this too shall pass,” rather than an exploration of crankiness or its impact on others. The blurb on the back suggests that “friends have a way of making things better.” Each scenario does include other creatures watching the tortoise smell flowers, listen for his echo, eat ice cream in the desert, enjoy the breeze on the ocean, and roller skate, but it’s only clear that they’re socializing in the last two scenes—enjoying a pizza party and watching the sunset. The conclusion is unambiguously positive, however: “What a wonderful day! It was time for bed, and Tortoise didn’t feel grumpy at all!” The artwork is colorful, and the animals are expressive and charming. This is part of a four-book series exploring feelings, and it is one of the more successful. Companion volumes are Careful Chameleon, Scaredy Cat (both muddled), and Steady Sloth, who perseveres while others quit in frustration. Stick with the tortoise and the sloth.
A cogent reminder that grumpiness is fleeting. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-61067-890-2
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Kane Miller
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
The idea for this book is just right for the board-book set, but the art may prove too abstract for youngsters still...
A trip to the local farmers market provides the ingredients for a feast.
“To market, / to market, / we are on our way. // So many groceries to find, / on this warm sunny day!” The rest of the rhymed verse takes readers through a shopping excursion to buy eggs, cheese, veggies and more, to the kitchen to prepare them and, finally, to an impressive table covered with food on the final two pages. While Page’s art is graphically interesting, with boldly outlined shapes representing a variety of provisions against backgrounds with subtle patterns, some of the images may not read as food to the typical board-book readers, who are still learning to identify edibles. For example, a hunk of Swiss cheese is rendered with vertical, black lines running down one side, and pea pods are shaped like diamonds; a couple of vegetables and fruits may prove unrecognizable even to adults. The verse cleverly uses the first line and meter of the traditional rhyme “To Market, To Market,” but several of the lines don’t scan.
The idea for this book is just right for the board-book set, but the art may prove too abstract for youngsters still learning to connect what they find on their plates to what they see on the page. (Board book. 18 mos.-3)Pub Date: March 4, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4521-1834-5
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
Almost too squeaky-clean to be much fun.
A lackluster take on the well-worn Aesop’s fable that does not stand up as well as other picture-book interpretations, notably Jerry Pinkney’s masterful wordless version.
In an uncharacteristic display of empathy, rather than playing along with the mouse’s attempt at negotiation, the lion refrains from eating the hungry mouse and helps him to get the juicy berries he desires. The mouse’s promise to return the favor materializes when hunters come in the night and trap the unsuspecting lion in a net. Naturally, the mouse frees the lion by gnawing away the strings of the net. No surprises here: Lion and mouse become BFFs. Nój’s textured cut-paper collage with some subtle die cuts enliven the rather ho-hum text and are cleanly executed. However, the highly stylized nature of the collage makes the lion’s shape more than a little odd in some of the illustrations. The style is so tight and formal that some of the shapes are hard to read, particularly when presented in silhouette. However there are creative touches, such as the die-cut footprints that represent the hunters, making drawing them unnecessary. Paper collage need not be as unforgiving as it is here; some of the figures have the look of Lego blocks and may be hard for young children to interpret.
Almost too squeaky-clean to be much fun. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: April 22, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6619-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Templar/Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Feb. 4, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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