Ian isn’t well, and his book isn’t so great either.
Some TLC and a play date help a sick little boy get better.
Little Ian has a fever, a sore throat, and a cough, so he stays home sick from school. His mother and father cuddle him and give him medicine, which helps him feel better. But when his parents have to go to work, a babysitter named Emma, whom Ian has never met, comes over. She plays with him and makes him “magic pancakes” to help him feel better, which seems to do the trick. A neighbor girl named Sarah comes over to play when Ian’s mother comes home. But when Ian, totally healthy the next day, wants to play with her again, he discovers that she is now at home sick with Emma babysitting her. All of the characters appear to be white, and the plot seems rather implausible, with its introduction of a stranger to care for a feverish child (she is at least a stranger to the sick child) and that same feverish child recovering so quickly. While Oud’s calm attitude is praiseworthy, readers may be more alarmed than reassured at imagining being left at home sick with a stranger, however friendly-looking and good at making pancakes. The cartoon-style illustrations are more pleasing than the forced text, but the color seems rather off, with blond hair appearing ghostly white.
Ian isn’t well, and his book isn’t so great either. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: July 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-60537-325-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clavis
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A regrettably awkward introduction to yoga.
When a yogi moves in next door, Emily learns enough to help him when he gets stuck.
Emily wonders why her new neighbor, Albert, “twist[s] himself into all kinds of strange positions on his front lawn.” He tells her about yoga and the mantra “om,” explaining, “It’s a magic word that everything understands….It helps me feel quiet and relaxed.” Emily tries it for herself but doesn’t fully realize its power until she helps Albert when he gets “stuck.” While this could be read figuratively, illustrations show Albert as literally “all twisted up,” with his legs and arms like twisted taffy and sweat beads on his face. This seems to poke fun, as does the “Dude! You’re totally stuck!” offered by a passing lifeguard. He and others try to help and struggle to figure out what Albert means when he moans “O…!” Nothing helps—not the phone suggested by the lifeguard, the garden gnome a police officer brings nor the poem of the librarian. There’s an odd dissonance in the humor—Albert seems to be genuinely suffering, and the others’ buffoonery, however well-intentioned, seems ill-placed. Once Emily steps in and says, “Ommmmmm,” Albert relaxes, and his arms and legs come “unstuck.” This inspires everyone to say “om” and use relaxation and yoga when they get stuck—figuratively or otherwise.
A regrettably awkward introduction to yoga. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-897476-35-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simply Read
Review Posted Online: Oct. 5, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2014
Not a standout, but it’s potentially useful for allaying the anxieties of wee ones ready to make what can be a scary leap...
A primer for little boys transitioning from their own potties to the toilet.
Jack is a cute, bespectacled tot wearing a large pirate hat featuring a skull and crossbones. He is busy playing with his teddy bear (which sports a bandanna and eye patch) when Daddy announces that it’s time to potty. But Jack has decided that he’s ready to give up the little potty and use the toilet like his father. Capt. Jack climbs aboard “his ship,” pees into the bowl, sits down and “does a poo,” flushes the toilet and then washes his hands. Proud Jack “takes a bow” while “Daddy claps and cheers,” proclaiming Jack “Captain of the Toilet!” Jack makes it look really easy, which may intimidate little ones, but they will probably be too busy repeatedly generating flushing sounds by pushing the book’s big blue button to notice. A companion title, Queen of the Toilet (978-0-7641-6659-4), stars a little girl. It follows the pattern of Jack’s story, except no child’s potty is pictured or mentioned. Bella seems to go directly from diapers to toilet, though the back cover indicates that this title, too, is intended for those transitioning from a child’s potty.
Not a standout, but it’s potentially useful for allaying the anxieties of wee ones ready to make what can be a scary leap from child’s potty to toilet. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-7641-6658-7
Page Count: 10
Publisher: Barron's
Review Posted Online: Nov. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2014
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