A warm, cozy counterpoint to Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman’s Bear Snores On (2002) but without the “Again! Again!”...
While all bears grow heavy-eyed in the winter, some little cubs—like some little humans—are too anxious to sleep.
Elliott can’t quite catch a wink when his mother bear tells him it’s time to nap until spring. He misses the season too much—and he’s impatient for it to come. He tries again and again to lull himself to sleep (changing his position, fluffing the bark strips, plumping up his pine-needle pillow), but nothing works. He is “Still. Wide. Awake”—a pleasing refrain. When he starts seeing scary shadows, Elliott turns to his mother for comfort. She instructs him to look closer to see the signs of spring. Sure enough, Elliott sees a “brave bud” growing in the snow, and he decides that if spring is asleep, he may as well sleep too. The refrain, poetic imagery, and well-paced sentences make this a smooth read-aloud. Yet it’s a bit too text-heavy—explaining too much at times when the art could do the heavy lifting. Kim’s soft, digitally colored graphite pencil illustrations evoke the comfort of the winter cave. The endpapers, featuring slice-of-life depictions of fall and spring, are a fitting frame.
A warm, cozy counterpoint to Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman’s Bear Snores On (2002) but without the “Again! Again!” readability. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-235603-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 9, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2017
This is a tremendously moving story, but some people will be moved only on the second reading, after they’ve Googled “How to...
A hug shouldn’t require an instruction manual—but some do.
A porcupine can frighten even the largest animal. In this picture book, a bear and a deer, along with a small rabbit, each run away when they hear eight simple words and their name: “I need a hug. Will you cuddle me,…?” As they flee, each utters a definitive refusal that rhymes with their name. The repetitive structure gives Blabey plenty of opportunities for humor, because every animal responds to the question with an outlandish, pop-eyed expression of panic. But the understated moments are even funnier. Each animal takes a moment to think over the request, and the drawings are nuanced enough that readers can see the creatures react with slowly building anxiety or, sometimes, a glassy stare. These silent reaction shots not only show exquisite comic timing, but they make the rhymes in the text feel pleasingly subtle by delaying the final line in each stanza. The story is a sort of fable about tolerance. It turns out that a porcupine can give a perfectly adequate hug when its quills are flat and relaxed, but no one stays around long enough to find out except for an animal that has its own experiences with intolerance: a snake. It’s an apt, touching moral, but the climax may confuse some readers as they try to figure out the precise mechanics of the embrace.
This is a tremendously moving story, but some people will be moved only on the second reading, after they’ve Googled “How to pet a porcupine.” (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Jan. 29, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-29710-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 29, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2018
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Young listeners of all stripes (and species) will enjoy this warmhearted celebration of literacy and imagination.
An enthusiastic reader teaches his two cats to appreciate books, though it takes extra effort to interest one of them in the endeavor.
Nick is a round-headed, early-elementary-sized, brown-skinned child with a fluff of curly hair and two cats, Verne and Stevenson. All three enjoy frolicking together, but when Nick wants to read, one cat ignores him, and the other sprawls on the volume open in his lap (a habit that will be familiar to cat lovers of all ages). The latter, Verne, a small cat with orange-and-brown stripes and a cheerful disposition, is amenable to Nick’s instruction. “But not Stevenson,” who frowns, runs away, and even hisses. When Nick and Verne discover Stevenson’s fascination with pirates, however, they have the hook they need. Nick’s efforts are both logical and methodical, and once he has achieved his goal, he and his feline friends find ways to incorporate their favorite stories into all kinds of imaginative play. Manley’s conversational text flows smoothly and has a matter-of-fact tone that grounds the fantastical elements. Berube’s charmingly childlike art, created in ink, Flashe paint, and acrylic paint, captures the cats’ personalities perfectly and creates a cozy, everyday world with just enough amusing details to reward repeat readings.
Young listeners of all stripes (and species) will enjoy this warmhearted celebration of literacy and imagination. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-3569-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: April 12, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2016
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BOOK REVIEW
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