Rock collectors will smile at her cairns and will be better able to leave behind beloved rocks.
When Rhoda goes hiking with Auntie June and Uncle Jonah, it’s not a little day hike.
It’s a haul-your-own-stuff and pitch-a-tent-in-a-new-place-each-night excursion, calling on Rhoda to reach deep into her reserve of gumption. Luckily, she really loves looking for rocks along the way. Her aunt smiles at the rock collecting, as long as Rhoda carries them in her own backpack. Rhoda likes the bucket shower in the cold lake, the salami sandwiches and old ratty sleeping bag, but as the hike continues—and her bag gets heavier with all those special rocks—Rhoda’s laugh disappears, and a decidedly grumpy girl emerges. But when she finally reaches her beach destination, Rhoda’s energy and enthusiasm return, especially when she thinks about the comforts of a cabin and the gorgeous beach rocks. But after some serious beachcombing, Rhoda cannot begin to move the heavy load of rocks. Young nature lovers and hikers will celebrate Rhoda’s creative solution. Droll, green-toned illustrations highlight Rhoda’s every emotion. She’s about 8, and readers see her body droop, eyebrows rise in frustration and even her socks fall, while her hair flies all over the place. Repetition and careful word choice (easy to decode and familiar) make this a picture book to share or read independently.
Rock collectors will smile at her cairns and will be better able to leave behind beloved rocks. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-87351-950-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Minnesota Historical Society Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2014
Even the most bee-phobic readers will have a hard time resisting this swarm of humor and fact.
Following much the same format as in I’m Trying to Love Spiders (2015), Barton makes a strong case for the value of bees.
Edgar, a torpedo-shaped white kid with googly eyes and a scribble of hair, loves everything the narrator does, including dinosaurs, strawberries, and honey, but he’s not so sure about bees. The narrator proceeds to persuade him to “give bees a chance,” telling him there are “about 25,000 different kinds of bees to love” (a sampling of which are introduced on front and rear endpapers), describing the composition of a honeybee colony and honeybee anatomy, and regaling him with cool bee facts. Edgar’s still not sure, because, he says, “they’re all gonna sting me!” Since many readers likely share Edgar’s apprehension, Barton’s counter to this is delightfully kidcentric: “most bees lose their stinger after attacking,” she says, “which would be like your hand disappearing if you pinched your sister!” Edgar remains unconvinced, so Barton drills down on the importance of bee pollination to the world’s food supply, illustrating it with a strawberry plant that says, “throw me some pollen! I don’t have arms.” Barton’s digital mix of scribbly cartoons and comics-style panels, splashy, watercolor-effect backgrounds, and exuberant hand-lettering makes for a high-energy celebration of all things Apis.
Even the most bee-phobic readers will have a hard time resisting this swarm of humor and fact. (author’s note) (Informational picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 25, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-670-01694-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Feb. 13, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An invitation to wonder, imagine and look at everything (humans included) in a new way.
A young boy sees things a little differently than others.
Noah can see patterns in the dust when it sparkles in the sunlight. And if he puts his nose to the ground, he can smell the “green tang of the ants in the grass.” His most favorite thing of all, however, is to read. Noah has endless curiosity about how and why things work. Books open the door to those answers. But there is one question the books do not explain. When the wind comes whistling by, where does it go? Noah decides to find out. In a chase that has a slight element of danger—wind, after all, is unpredictable—Noah runs down streets, across bridges, near a highway, until the wind lifts him off his feet. Cowman’s gusty wisps show each stream of air turning a different jewel tone, swirling all around. The ribbons gently bring Noah home, setting him down under the same thinking tree where he began. Did it really happen? Worthington’s sensitive exploration leaves readers with their own set of questions and perhaps gratitude for all types of perspective. An author’s note mentions children on the autism spectrum but widens to include all who feel a little different.
An invitation to wonder, imagine and look at everything (humans included) in a new way. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 14, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-60554-356-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Redleaf Lane
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2015
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