He truly might be the bonniest baby in Dundee, or in any town.
Take one proud big sister, mix in the love of all the grannies in town and a baby beauty contest, and you have the fixings for a jolly read-aloud.
Related in irresistible rhyme, this Scottish import tells the tale of one blond, peach-skinned baby whose big sister enters him in a contest. And what a sweetie he is! “ ‘No time to lose!’ I shout to Mum. / ‘There’s a trophy to be won! / Let’s get our baby home and in the bath!’ ” Unfortunately, though his family prepares him for the big event, the world has other plans. The bus breaks down, it begins to “bucket down with rain,” the streetlights refuse to let them cross the street, and the bus splashes water on the tot, who is now “the dirtiest baby in Dundee!” The baby makes it worse by blowing a raspberry at the judge! But even though three other babies win ribbons before the treasured child, he does get his fourth-place ribbon, and all is well. Energetic watercolor-and-collage illustrations appropriately depict a multiethnic Dundee and reflect the exuberant verse, which is straight from the mouth of the proud big sister. Occasional Scottish words (“cheeky,” “bairn,” “claggie,” “wee,” and more) add to the fun. While American readers might not be familiar with these words, each is easy to decode and understand in context or from looking at the pictures. The rhyme begs to be read aloud—with or without a bonny Scottish accent.
He truly might be the bonniest baby in Dundee, or in any town. (Picture book. 2-8)Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-78250-314-9
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Floris
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2016
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
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
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