It’s a political education—Schoolyard Politics 101—in a picture book, one well worth having on the bookshelf.
“And so it was one windy day that Louis the sheep thereby became Louis I, king of the sheep.” And, Kurt Vonnegut would add, so it goes.
Louis is out grazing when a crown blows his way. He tries it on. Voilà, Louis I. Soon, Louis I needs a scepter and a throne. He is ambitious: his court will become home to the most distinguished artists; ambassadors from the anteater, raccoon, and penguin kingdoms will all pay their respects. This leads to megalomania: he banishes the sheep that don’t resemble him to a distant pasture. But—the wind blows once more, taking the crown with it. Power comes, power goes; at least Louis gets to keep his head. (Maybe; the crown lands at the feet of a wolf. He tries it on.) Tallec’s book is sophisticated, but it also approaches the subject, visually and textually, from a kid’s-eye view. The colors (cadmium red, indigo, pinks shading to purples) beguile, and the imagery runs from fairly goofy-looking sheep to the royal luxury of an ermine stole to spooky trees that play with light and dark. Tallec leaves it up to readers to decide how much of Louis’ power trip is imaginary, giving them plenty of details to pore over while they muse.
It’s a political education—Schoolyard Politics 101—in a picture book, one well worth having on the bookshelf. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-59270-185-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions.
Ellis, known for her illustrations for Colin Meloy’s Wildwood series, here riffs on the concept of “home.”
Shifting among homes mundane and speculative, contemporary and not, Ellis begins and ends with views of her own home and a peek into her studio. She highlights palaces and mansions, but she also takes readers to animal homes and a certain famously folkloric shoe (whose iconic Old Woman manages a passel of multiethnic kids absorbed in daring games). One spread showcases “some folks” who “live on the road”; a band unloads its tour bus in front of a theater marquee. Ellis’ compelling ink and gouache paintings, in a palette of blue-grays, sepia and brick red, depict scenes ranging from mythical, underwater Atlantis to a distant moonscape. Another spread, depicting a garden and large building under connected, transparent domes, invites readers to wonder: “Who in the world lives here? / And why?” (Earth is seen as a distant blue marble.) Some of Ellis’ chosen depictions, oddly juxtaposed and stripped of any historical or cultural context due to the stylized design and spare text, become stereotypical. “Some homes are boats. / Some homes are wigwams.” A sailing ship’s crew seems poised to land near a trio of men clad in breechcloths—otherwise unidentified and unremarked upon.
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6529-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2014
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