Carlstrom, author of the Jesse Bear series, offers a poetic look at the connection between God and nature, basing her free-verse text on a well-known Bible verse (“This is the day the Lord has made”). Day by day through the week, each spread offers a brief bit of advice in bold text about praising God or celebrating the wonders of nature, followed by a short, graceful description of the animals and natural wonders shown in the illustrations, which are set in the islands of the Pacific Northwest. The text uses active verbs and sensory details to draw the reader into the setting with descriptive phrases that are usually successful but sometimes a little overblown or too metaphorical for the intended audience (“Call out cloud shapes the sky has made / and watch light / walk across the water”). Cowdrey’s realistic paintings capture the intriguing birds and beasts of the area, from herons and eagles to harbor seals and orca whales, with a dandy orca breaching on the front cover. (Picture book/religion. 4-7)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-310-71428-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2009
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The story of Noah’s ark is told in rhyming verse that doesn’t quite sing. To the traditional story the author adds details that readers will appreciate—the ark was made of Cypress wood with three decks, and he even describes where many of the animals chose to live while on board. Wind and rain are anthropomorphized with personal pronouns and illustrations of their “faces.” With words such as stout, preferred, slithered, torrents, haven, and disembark, the author introduces new vocabulary to his readers, using context to make meanings clear. Unfortunately, the verses are not consistent in their rhyming pattern, leading to a choppy feel and breaking up the rhythm of the story. Several of the lines seem forced, as if he chose words for the number of syllables or rhyme pattern rather than for their fit. For example, after listing the individual animals loaded onto the ark, he names the generic and all-inclusive “bugs” to complete a rhyme with “slugs.” Newcomer Ferri’s soft-edged pictures are sweetly simple. His people are block figures, but their faces are full of emotion. The animals are easily recognizable—basic forms without a lot of competing details. The colors reflect the moods of the pages: soft greens and warm reds fill the illustrations of Noah and the animals; cool, angry blues dominate the pages that detail the people’s wickedness and the flood. It’s too bad the text doesn’t live up to the illustrations. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2001
ISBN: 1-84148-361-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Barefoot Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2001
The Anglo rather than Hebrew alphabet is used here as a loose tie-in presenting Jewish-related information on holidays, customs, traditions and certain religious practices. While some letter connections seem sensibly Jewish-oriented—“K is for Kiddush, a prayer over wine / thanking God for giving us the fruit of the vine / L is for latkes fried ’til crisp and yummy / Add applesauce or sour cream and fill up your tummy”—others seem stretched and more generic: “A is for animals, boarding Noah’s Ark / hurrying on two by two before the sky turns dark / B is for bagels baked golden brown / many varieties, all of them round.” In addition to displaying upper- and lower-case letters and extra words for each letter, the author provides explanations for each concept. Mixed-media illustrations incorporate the shape of the letter into the object each represents, and accompany prose and uneven and imperfectly rhymed text. An introductory hodgepodge of information, at best. (Picture book/nonfiction. 5-7)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2006
ISBN: 1-58980-414-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Pelican
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2006
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