A relevant but sometimes awkwardly executed etiquette reminder.
A young boy is repeatedly told to be quiet in Moore’s rhyming debut picture book.
As the book opens, narrator Michael tells readers that he’s about to tell them a story about a name that people call him and hopes “you can help me figure out what this nickname is all about.” He then describes situations in which he was very loud and disruptive. His parents, principal, and teachers all tell him, “Shhh...Quiet, Michael!” He assumes, however, that it’s just an unusual moniker. Then he realizes that “Although the sounds that I made are sometimes fine, I did not make them at the right time.” He goes over moments when he acted inappropriately and explains how he could have been more considerate. The overarching lesson, which highlights respectful behavior, is notable. However, the book is a bit lengthy and could have been pared down without losing its effectiveness. It’s also repetitive, as when Michael unnecessarily reviews events that readers have already witnessed. Debut illustrator Berry’s simple, full-color images are bold and bright, mirroring the tone of the text. They also feature helpful thought bubbles and representations of sounds (such as “Rap! Tap! Tap!”). Michael and his family are shown as dark-skinned, and other characters have a range of skin tones.
A relevant but sometimes awkwardly executed etiquette reminder.Pub Date: July 17, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-72580-306-0
Page Count: 33
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Nov. 6, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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