In Lennox’s debut, rhyming picture book, featuring illustrations by Aveira (Mariposa, 2019, etc.), a little boy searches for his lost shoe in the zoo and gets a surprise when he finds it.
“One day in the summer I went to the zoo, / And somehow or other I lost my right shoe!” narrates a young boy. He enlists the aid of zookeepers and they hunt for the footwear in habitats and enclosures, encountering a polar bear, a giraffe, camels, and many more creatures along the way. A helpful kangaroo checks her pouch; the boy even takes a snorkeling dip in the flamingo pond to look. Aveira’s semirealistic, full-color, full-page digital images feature lavish greenery, big-eyed, friendly animals, and relatable human characters (the boy and most other characters are white; a zookeeper and a few bystanders have brown skin). Children will have fun spotting what the boy doesn’t—including his upside-down shoe in the background. What the kindhearted boy discovers when he finally finds it is a sweetly comic revelation, and another surprise is still to come. The book is labeled “A Zoo Adventure for Ages 3 to 7,” which suggests that there may be a welcome series of adventures ahead.
A simple lesson in compassion, told in lively, rhyming text with engaging illustrations.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 978-1-73339-950-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Jumping Juniper Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Categories: CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S
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A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
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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. 14, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
Categories: CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S
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A young child explores the unlimited potential inherent in all humans.
“Have you ever wondered why you are here?” asks the second-person narration. There is no one like you. Maybe you’re here to make a difference with your uniqueness; maybe you will speak for those who can’t or use your gifts to shine a light into the darkness. The no-frills, unrhymed narrative encourages readers to follow their hearts and tap into their limitless potential to be anything and do anything. The precisely inked and colored artwork plays with perspective from the first double-page spread, in which the child contemplates a mountain (or maybe an iceberg) in their hands. Later, they stand on a ladder to place white spots on tall, red mushrooms. The oversized flora and fauna seem to symbolize the presumptively insurmountable, reinforcing the book’s message that anything is possible. This quiet read, with its sophisticated central question, encourages children to reach for their untapped potential while reminding them it won’t be easy—they will make messes and mistakes—but the magic within can help overcome falls and failures. It’s unlikely that members of the intended audience have begun to wonder about their life’s purpose, but this life-affirming mood piece has honorable intentions. The child, accompanied by an adorable piglet and sporting overalls and a bird-beaked cap made of leaves, presents white.
More gift book than storybook, this is a meaningful addition to nursery bookshelves . (Picture book. 2-8)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-946873-75-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: May 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2019
Categories: CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S
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