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
Sweet and apt, but slight. For another, more artful ursine exploration of the same question, try Sam McBratney and Anita...
A day of outdoor fun prompts a big question to Momma Bear from her two young cubs.
Cub Jacob tags Momma—"You're it!"—and the game is afoot. These bears are reasonably shaggy but anthropomorphic; Momma wears a large red-and-white apron, Jacob's in a bright blue sweater, and his sister Casey has on a red dress. Jacob throws Momma a curve when he suddenly asks, "Who do you love best?" Casey wants to know the answer to this as well. Momma answers slowly. She loves the way that Jacob makes art, and how Casey dances and that both of them make her laugh. The children make funny faces until they send themselves into gales of helpless laughter, but when that subsides, they come back at Momma with the same question. She thinks a bit before tackling it again. "You're both a part of me,…like my paws. How can I love one of my paws more than the other?" She needs them both. Or maybe they're like her legs or her arms. She needs both her arms to give them big hugs. At last the cubs get it: Momma Bear loves them both the best. She scoops them up in a big hug. "With all my heart," she says. The bright illustrations and extra-sturdy pages suit a very young readership, as does the accessible prose.
Sweet and apt, but slight. For another, more artful ursine exploration of the same question, try Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram's You're All My Favorites (2004). (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-58925-648-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: July 31, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Lucy wants to learn to read and write, but don’t ask why: It’s a secret. She gathers up the necessary materials and, with...
Learning to read can be an adventure, as this determined little girl and her pup demonstrate.
Lucy wants to learn to read and write, but don’t ask why: It’s a secret. She gathers up the necessary materials and, with help from her parents, draws pictures of the words she wants to know on sticky notes and writes the appropriate letters underneath. Colorful, energetic acrylics show Lucy and her ever-present pup Peanut in motion over the next few weeks, labeling various people and objects, often to comic effect. (Peanut enjoys munching on paper. Is this his way of learning to read, too?) After a lot of hard work, Lucy is ready. Eyes shining with enthusiasm, on Peanut’s birthday she makes a special cake with help from Mom, and she has an even bigger surprise for her beloved dog—a card she’s made all by herself. The appealing character, lively pictures and mild suspense make for a warm family story that shows the fun of having a pet and provides a strategy for learning to read that youngsters will eagerly embrace. A strong choice for school or home reading.Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-8234-2339-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: July 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2011
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