Expresses what many already know: Teaching is much more than just grades.
Equal parts love letter and gratitude to those who teach.
Teachers too often go unsung. Rosenthal sets out to change that. The opening spread doesn’t beat around the bush: A large “THANK YOU” is scrawled across a banner held by a group of beaming children. Thanks for what? “Just because.” Educators do their work everywhere, not just in the classroom, and Rosenthal and Hatam recognize this. They show inspiration happening in a youth orchestra, outdoors, a yoga studio, and various sports settings as well. Some of the platitudes may feel familiar—“Thank you for noticing I dream big and encouraging me to do just that”—but Hatam’s interpretations can put clever spins on oft-heard words; here, using white lines against a green background to emulate a chalkboard, she depicts a tot lassoing the moon. Children look up to their teachers with starry eyes, as Rosenthal understands (“You’re super kind, you’re super cool, and you’re my superhero!”), but often don’t fully appreciate their influence until later in their lives. Rosenthal actively encourages sharing the book with teachers—a later spread looks like a gift-wrapped box, with text reading, “this book is my gift to you”—but hopefully young readers will also be inspired to write thank-you notes of their own. Both teachers and children depicted are racially and ethnically diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 60.2% of actual size.)
Expresses what many already know: Teaching is much more than just grades. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-301274-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021
PERSPECTIVES
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance.
A boy with wings learns to be himself and inspires others like him to soar, too.
Norman, a “perfectly normal” boy, never dreamed he might grow wings. Afraid of what his parents might say, he hides his new wings under a big, stuffy coat. Although the coat hides his wings from the world, Norman no longer finds joy in bathtime, playing at the park, swimming, or birthday parties. With the gentle encouragement of his parents, who see his sadness, Norman finds the courage to come out of hiding and soar. Percival (The Magic Looking Glass, 2017, etc.) depicts Norman with light skin and dark hair. Black-and-white illustrations show his father with dark skin and hair and his mother as white. The contrast of black-and-white illustrations with splashes of bright color complements the story’s theme. While Norman tries to be “normal,” the world and people around him look black and gray, but his coat stands out in yellow. Birds pop from the page in pink, green, and blue, emphasizing the joy and beauty of flying free. The final spread, full of bright color and multiracial children in flight, sets the mood for Norman’s realization on the last page that there is “no such thing as perfectly normal,” but he can be “perfectly Norman.”
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68119-785-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
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