An imaginative fantasy that gives readers plenty of room to roam.
A family moves into a new house, and a child finds a playmate.
Cornelia is not a fan of the family’s new multistory Victorian house, with its copious antiques and dearth of playmates. The parents suggest having “a look around outside” instead. Sporting a blue cape, Cornelia and a scruffy dog companion wander into the tall surrounding trees. They find a ladder, climb into the treetops, and find a marvelous branched-out treehouse. Lounging in a hammock on the porch is Fredrik, who welcomes them and shows off many inventions: There are hanging, bed-sized nests of pillows and cranks for watering hard-to-reach plants—but “the best” is a “Jungle Machine.” After some wheel-twisting and button-pushing, tropical plants emerge from gramophone-like horns, sprouting into a full jungle, complete with swinging vines, a river, and a red-plumed bird large enough to ride. After some adventuring, Cornelia returns home more optimistic about the new living situation. The matter-of-fact, largely wordless text provides only a slight lift beyond the unexplained, implausible circumstances, but it also allows readers’ minds to wander through the fantastical possibilities. Characters present white; the eye patch–wearing Fredrik has the demeanor of an arboreal Pippi Longstocking. The pictures are intricately lined and rich with detail. Expansive images push beyond their edges to make grand use of the tall, rectangular trim.
An imaginative fantasy that gives readers plenty of room to roam. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-776572-59-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Gecko Press
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers.
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
