An exuberant yet earnest assemblage of fast-paced verse and fun-filled visuals about friendship.
The message here is clear: Life is better when shared with special people.
Speaking directly to the reader in rhyming verses, the first-person narrator extols the enduring joys of friendship. Whether the friendship started “when we both were small” or “once we had a chance to grow,” the narrator admits “I'm happier with you.” Often, the narrator tickles the reader with amusing sweet nothings: “If one plus one makes two, / I'm the one who goes with you,” and “You like pink, and I like blue. / I'll make lavender with you.” Whether kindred spirits are playing together, enjoying quiet time, working side by side, or exploring the world with each other, the people who ‘get us’ make our lives that much happier. Even when friends grow up, change, and no longer live close by, the narrator promises to “find a way to keep you in my head and in my heart.” Clever use of related object analogies—“You're the apple on my tree. / You're the honey to my bee” or “You're the hat that fits my head. / You're the hilltop for my sled”—creates a jaunty rhythm ideal for reading aloud. Busy, upbeat, mixed-media illustrations rendered in a cheerful pastel palette feature racially and gender diverse friends (including animal companions) engaged in both familiar activities and fantastical adventures, many of them taking place in nature.
An exuberant yet earnest assemblage of fast-paced verse and fun-filled visuals about friendship. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-316-42915-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Dec. 2, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2021
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
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)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
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Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle...
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
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BOOK REVIEW
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