Gowans’ children’s picture book features the loving relationship between a grandmother and her grandsons as they explore the natural world around them and celebrate differences in nature and ourselves.
This picture book uses alliterative, internally rhyming prose to expound on an afternoon excursion of a grandmother and her two grandsons. The trio starts by taking an outdoor walk and then explores the variety of life in grass at their feet via the magnifying glass grandmother keeps in her purse. As the three observe numerous critters in the grass, the ladybug takes center stage thanks to her uniqueness and her shaking, shimmying moves that capture the attention of the other denizens of the grass. Keeping with the upbeat mood, the story switches back and forth between the relationship between grandmother and grandsons and the adventure of what they discover with Gramee’s magnifying glass, culminating with a digression on how the ladybug is so different from the other critters and why this makes the ladybug special. Bouch’s smooth, clean ink lines filled with crayon-style color make the book appear like a child’s coloring book and will likely appeal to young children who like to draw or color. This lighthearted, fun story has a rhythm in its tone that will make readers want to get up and move to the beat. However, the prose occasionally reads awkwardly; for example, “swinging and swaying her ever so nifty, spiffy Gramee bag filled full of Gramee treasures” may seem to be patronizing baby-talk to more sophisticated young ones and challenge parents reading the story aloud. But the lesson presented is a valuable one. LaLa Ladybug, as she is aptly called, inspires Gramee and the boys to emulate her moves and do a “boogie oogie” of their own, while they celebrate the ladybug’s differences and how her differences make her the belle of the ball: “Being different and one-of-a-kind, she’s simply sure she belongs, because all her difference makes everybody happy and strong.” More likely to appeal to toddlers, this colorful, fun illustrative story inspires children to be proud of their differences. (Picture book. 1–8)
Pub Date: Aug. 15, 2011
ISBN: 978-1434980793
Page Count: 27
Publisher: RoseDog
Review Posted Online: Nov. 16, 2011
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren.
In talk-show host Fallon and illustrator Ordóñez’s latest picture-book collaboration, an elderly pooch waxes rhapsodic about a life well lived.
Observing Papa sitting in his chair watching TV all day, a young pup says, “I’m starting to think…you don’t do ANYTHING.” So Papa proceeds to list his accomplishments, both big and small, mundane and profound. Some are just a result of being older and physically bigger (being tall enough to reach a high shelf and strong enough to open jars); others include winning a race and performing in a band when he was younger. Eventually, the pup realizes that while Papa may have slowed down in his old age, he’s led a full life. The most satisfying thing about Papa’s life now? Watching his grandchild take center stage: “I can say lots of thoughts / but I choose to be quiet. / I’d rather you discover things and then try it.” Fallon’s straightforward text is sweetly upbeat, though it occasionally lacks flow, forcing incongruous situations together to fit the rhyme scheme (“I cook and I mow, / and I once flew a plane. // I play newspaper puzzles because it’s good for my brain”). Featuring uncluttered, colorful backgrounds, Ordóñez’s child-friendly digital art at times takes on sepia tones, evoking the sense of looking back at old photos or memories. Though the creators tread familiar ground, the love between Papa and his little one is palpable.
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781250393975
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
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