An endearing ode to an oft–grumbled-about profession.
“ATTA-RATTA-BATTA-BLAM.”
Readers hear Jackhammer Sam before they see him. He’s "the sidewalk blasting man." To most, his choppa-chops are loud and obnoxious, but to him, it’s a sweet, sweet melody. As he blasts through concrete on sidewalks above and subways below, he invites readers to sing along: “ATTA-RATTA-BINGA-BONG. / ATTA-RATTA-MIGHT-BE-LONG. / ATTA-RATTA-PINGA-PONG. / ATTA-RATTA-DINGA-DONG.” Filled with rhythmic onomatopoeia and pulsating beats, it’s no wonder Jackhammer Sam waltzes while he works. The roly-poly, lovable construction worker radiates joy, while everyone else around him jumps in surprise or winces in pain at the shattering noise. (Of course, per Catrow’s signature illustrative style, wide, bulging eyes abound.) Sam takes such pride in his work that he boasts, “My hammer broke th’ break of day. / My hammer drained the Milky Way.” Besides simply reveling in the rowdy beats, young readers should also glean that every job is important and if you love what you do, you’ll do it well.
An endearing ode to an oft–grumbled-about profession. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Nov. 8, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59643-034-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2011
A soothing, reassuring look at loss and life.
It can be hard to find home again.
On a trip to the lake house, young Faye addresses someone absent. Clues reveal it to be Faye’s Mama. Without her presence, the house feels empty. “Dad does everything different,” and the quiet between them reverberates, too. In a move to connect with Mama, the child sets off in a boat labeled “Faye & Mama’s Mouseboat.” In sparse but moving text, Theule explores the soft, somber moments of grief. The dynamic changes, not only between the absent and the present, but between those left behind as well. Halpin’s detailed watercolor, colored pencil, and digital art captures the tone and narrative progression of Faye’s story. Out on the stormy water, where not only can Mama be heard, but her voice is all-encompassing, the typography switches over to all caps, giving the moment an intimate feel. The reassuring message—“YOU’RE GOING TO BE OKAY. BE BRAVE. I LOVE YOU”—boldly placed across the spread will be felt deeply in Faye’s and in readers’ hearts. Halpin renders this cathartic moment in a more abstract style, as vignettes of memories are overlaid on Faye’s figure, depicted in orangey-red hues. Faye returns to shore and Dad’s arms. Together, the pair look at photos, and the bedroom wallpaper behind them blurs into inky scenes of memories—a synthesis of past and present. Characters present as Asian. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A soothing, reassuring look at loss and life. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 28, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-32735-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
Not the most compellingly slumberous collection out there but adequate for the purpose.
Original poems to read at twilight, at bedtime, and after.
Taylor sticks largely to traditional nighty-night topics and tropes, from sleeping animals, the moon, and the sound of rain to the titular train and (with a proper nod to Robert Louis Stevenson’s “The Land of Counterpane”) the transformation of rumpled bedcovers into an undiscovered country. Given the plethora of sleep-themed poetry titles out there, this one may not stand out on a crowded shelf, and the soporific tonality does suffer some interruptions—notably in a catalog of “Sleep Stealers” (“And, just when your eyes / fill with flickers of sleep, / they’ll set off a car alarm / out in the street”) and verses about a “Cave Bear’s Snore” (“A volcano’s pretty scary. / So’s a lion’s roar”)—but overall Taylor makes effective use of rhyme, rhythm, and repetition to weigh down young eyelids: “Moonrise. Bat flies. Night skies. Sleepy sighs. / Teddy eyes. Beddy-byes. Lullabies. Shut your eyes.” Allepuz follows suit with twilit and moonlit scenes of drowsing wild creatures mixed with softly textured tumbles of family groups (including one with an adult using a wheelchair and holding a child on their lap) and variously hued children cavorting, getting ready for bed, or floating into dreamland beneath starry skies. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not the most compellingly slumberous collection out there but adequate for the purpose. (Picture-book poetry. 4-6)Pub Date: March 14, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-5362-2834-2
Page Count: 88
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
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