Pollard’s tide is like a poem. Beginning and ending each spread is a word repeated three times, often one that actually sounds like the actions described in the middle of that verse: “Scratch, scratch, scratch. The clam digger rakes the sand. Mussels and clams clattering, shattering into his bucket. Scratch, scratch, scratch.” Text lines dip and curve over the page, mirroring the waves, mirroring the clam digger’s feet trudging through the sand. “S” and “sh” sounds are used plentifully throughout, sounding wonderfully oceanic. Illustration strengths are the clam digger’s large yellow slicker and the flocks of various birds; seagulls and geese are joined by several other (unidentified) kinds, with as many as six species of bird per spread. However, an over-busy feeling pervades the pictures. Too many types of shape and line, along with harsh color combinations, deny the eye a place to rest or focus. Pixilated lines, used for water texture, are too jagged for the waves and foam they are supposed to depict; they evoke a technological world more than a watery one. But onomatopoeia such as “kronk, kronk, kronk” for geese honking and “stoop, stoop, stoop” for bicycle wheels in the sand combines with alliteration like “full of flapping fish,” and all these sounds build to an entrancing combination printed in undulating waves: “Chug. Trudge. Splash. Scratch. Kronk. Prod. Hush. Gush. Swoop. Stoop. Beam. Gleam.” Readers’ eyes may be confused but their ears will definitely be captured. (Picture book. 2-4)
Pub Date: May 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-7613-1536-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2002
A wholesome and gentle story that's pleasant and soothing for little ones of all faiths, though it will have extra resonance...
The wonder of the natural world becomes more meaningful through active engagement with it.
A young family’s camping vacation makes two significant overnight stops, one at the seaside and one further inland in a lush green field. As parents set up tents, brother and sister feel the hot sand, marvel at the wide waves, breathe in the salty air and hear the wind’s English/Hebrew whisper of “good night, laila tov.” Similarly, while parents plant new tree seedlings in the field, children gather berries, are awed by field mice, surprised by bees and ultimately fall asleep to the rhythmic pattern of rain that mimics the “good night, laila tov” message. Bright, often full double-page scenes in deeply rich, opaque hues on textured paper bring out the natural essence of this sweet bedtime piece told in lilting rhyme. “We drove out to the oceanside. / The sand was hot. The waves were wide. / Tall grasses swayed. The salty air / Was soft and still and everywhere.” The continual assurance of its repetitive refrain, found on every other page, complements the theme of caring for nature’s beauty. Though the Judaic concept of tikkun olam, or repairing the world, is not explicitly stated within the text, it pervades the whole.
A wholesome and gentle story that's pleasant and soothing for little ones of all faiths, though it will have extra resonance in Jewish households. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: March 27, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-375-86868-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 2, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Young readers will appreciate this brief introduction to what occurs in most beginning aquatic lessons for children—sans any...
Take the plunge with Maisy and her friends as they splash and wade through their first swimming lesson.
Part of the Maisy First Experiences series, this title helps familiarize young ones with the preparations and activities common to most swimming instruction. First Maisy must collect everything she needs: bathing suit, towel and goggles. She joins Eddie and Tallulah for the adventure. Eddie is brave and jumps right in, but Maisy and Tallulah dip their “toes in first. Ooh, it’s freeeezing!” After a “swish-swash [and] splish-splash,” the trio meets their hippo teacher, Poppy. They learn to kick, float and blow bubbles. Soon the fun is over, and it is time for the lesson to end. Maisy climbs up the ladder and “feels shivery out of the water, so she wraps herself up in a fluffy towel.” After a quick shower and change into her clothes, Maisy is ready to meet her friends for a snack. Over apple juice and milk, a smiling Maisy looks forward to the next lesson. All is depicted in bright gouache illustrations done in Cousins’ signature style by, presumably, the film studio responsible for animating the Maisy franchise.
Young readers will appreciate this brief introduction to what occurs in most beginning aquatic lessons for children—sans any tears and fears. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: Feb. 12, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6480-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Dec. 11, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2013
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