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THE CLOTHESLINE

Name: THE CLOTHESLINE
Author: Orbie
ISBN: 978-1-77147-390-3

by Orbie ; illustrated by Orbie ; translated by Karen Li ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 15, 2019

There’s some fun here, and readers will recognize that “hanging around” has taken on a new, unexpected meaning.

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What’s it like to literally hang around?

Five-year-old Reggie knows. The tot is stranded in midair in the middle of Mom’s clothesline while single-handedly clutching a knot in the middle of the line. Yanking said knot while skipping downstairs from the apartment is a ritual: Reggie likes the knot’s sound when it’s snapped. Today, having slipped on the stairs, Reggie’s hand becomes entangled in the knot; struggling comically pushes Reggie into the clothesline’s center. Reggie’s other hand enfolds coins earned by doing chores. Reggie doesn’t want to drop the money, but the kid is also terrified of falling. Mom’s inside wearing large earphones, so yelling for her does no good. Eventually the coins and Reggie plummet to the pavement. Fortunately, Reggie sustains only dirty hands, with which the sniffling child quickly retrieves the coins and buys candy. By the following week, Reggie’s learned the lesson about that pesky knot. This quirky Canadian import, translated from French, has Reggie narrating in first person in a dryly witty, self-aware tone. However, when Reggie realizes the fall wasn’t so bad, the tension and fun end abruptly, and the story becomes a letdown. The child-appealing, expressive illustrations feature lots of white space, focusing attention on Reggie’s plight. Characters present white.

There’s some fun here, and readers will recognize that “hanging around” has taken on a new, unexpected meaning. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-77147-390-3

Page Count: 64

Publisher: Owlkids Books

Review Posted Online: July 13, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2019

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE LITTLE PIG, THE BICYCLE, AND THE MOON
by Pierrette Dubé ; illustrated by Orbie

- BOOK REVIEW
SLOTH AT THE ZOOM
by Helaine Becker ; illustrated by Orbie

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THE MOST MAGNIFICENT THING

by Ashley Spires ; illustrated by Ashley Spires ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2014

Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle...

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Making things is difficult work. Readers will recognize the stages of this young heroine’s experience as she struggles to realize her vision.

First comes anticipation. The artist/engineer is spotted jauntily pulling a wagonload of junkyard treasures. Accompanied by her trusty canine companion, she begins drawing plans and building an assemblage. The narration has a breezy tone: “[S]he makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!” The colorful caricatures and creations contrast with the digital black outlines on a white background that depict an urban neighborhood. Intermittent blue-gray panels break up the white expanses on selected pages showing sequential actions. When the first piece doesn’t turn out as desired, the protagonist tries again, hoping to achieve magnificence. A model of persistence, she tries many adjustments; the vocabulary alone offers constructive behaviors: she “tinkers,” “wrenches,” “fiddles,” “examines,” “stares” and “tweaks.” Such hard work, however, combines with disappointing results, eventually leading to frustration, anger and injury. Explosive emotions are followed by defeat, portrayed with a small font and scaled-down figures. When the dog, whose expressions have humorously mirrored his owner’s through each phase, retrieves his leash, the resulting stroll serves them well. A fresh perspective brings renewed enthusiasm and—spoiler alert—a most magnificent scooter sidecar for a loyal assistant.

Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle characterization for maximum delight. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: April 1, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-55453-704-4

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Kids Can

Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2014

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
BYE BYE, BUTTERFLY
developed by Ashley Spires ; adapted by Naseem Hrab ; illustrated by Mike Shiell

- BOOK REVIEW
NO MOUSIE LEFT BEHIND
developed by Ashley Spires ; adapted by Naseem Hrab ; illustrated by Mike Shiell

- BOOK REVIEW
THE MOST MAGNIFICENT MAKER'S A TO Z
by Ashley Spires ; illustrated by Ashley Spires

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)