Simple words and accessible, engaging illustrations combine to offer a surprisingly nuanced story.
A child and a crow both collect shiny objects but find a way to share in this picture book that doubles as an early reader.
The story begins with a single word, “child,” in a large easy-to-read, sans-serif type. Its accompanying illustration shows a black-haired, beige-skinned figure gazing at several trinkets the child has placed on a stone wall outdoors. The story continues with soft, full-color illustrations, each accompanied by a single word. The overall effect is one of friendliness and encouragement as well as illustrative engagement, as readers will no doubt peruse the illustrations seeking out the host of treasured objects—buttons, sea glass, coins, a thimble—they contain. A crow enters the storyline, and the crow also collects shiny objects. When it takes a treasured button from the stone wall, the child is forlorn. That night a storm dislodges the crow’s nest, and the crow’s shiny collection tumbles to the ground. The crow finds and returns the child’s treasured button, and the grateful child offers a trinket to the crow, who takes it—and leaves a feather in return. Author/illustrator Dwyer exhibits remarkable skill in creating this story of friendship and sharing, with its minimal text and well-designed illustrations. Early readers will hone their skills, while the accessible, uncluttered illustrations invite them to use their imaginations to make the story their own.
Simple words and accessible, engaging illustrations combine to offer a surprisingly nuanced story. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-51326-195-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: WestWinds Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Yes, the Pigeon has to go to school, and so do readers, and this book will surely ease the way.
All the typical worries and excuses kids have about school are filtered through Willems’ hysterical, bus-loving Pigeon.
Told mostly in speech balloons, the bird’s monologue will have kids (and their caregivers) in stitches at Pigeon’s excuses. From already knowing everything (except whatever question readers choose to provide in response to “Go ahead—ask me a question. / Any question!”) to fearing learning too much (“My head might pop off”), Pigeon’s imagination has run wild. Readers familiar with Pigeon will recognize the muted, matte backgrounds that show off the bird’s shenanigans so well. As in previous outings, Willems varies the size of the pigeon on the page to help communicate emotion, the bird teeny small on the double-page spread that illustrates the confession that “I’m… / scared.” And Pigeon’s eight-box rant about all the perils of school (“The unknown stresses me out, dude”) is marvelously followed by the realization (complete with lightbulb thought bubble) that school is the place for students to practice, with experts, all those skills they don’t yet have. But it is the ending that is so Willems, so Pigeon, and so perfect. Pigeon’s last question is “Well, HOW am I supposed to get there, anyway!?!” Readers will readily guess both the answer and Pigeon’s reaction.
Yes, the Pigeon has to go to school, and so do readers, and this book will surely ease the way. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-368-04645-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
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