I'M HERE

Name: I'M HERE
Author: Peter Reynolds
ISBN: 978-1-4169-9649-1

by Peter Reynolds & illustrated by Peter Reynolds ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 16, 2011

Alone in the schoolyard, the young protagonist sits apart from the others, but he is quite present. “I am here,” he says....

bookshelf

Eloquent, fanciful text and illustrations that sparkle with clarity combine to perfectly portray a solitary boy’s flight of imagination.

Alone in the schoolyard, the young protagonist sits apart from the others, but he is quite present. “I am here,” he says. Happy to examine the details of the world around him, he is fine—until a piece of paper falls right into his lap, ready to be transformed. He folds the paper into an airplane, which then flies higher and higher, bringing him on a journey above the playground, clouds and sky, then back down to be caught by his schoolmates. The repeated refrain, “I am here,” reinforces the boy’s sense of himself in the world, even though he is alone, and his unique point of view is both distinct and easy to understand. Clean, appealing illustrations are distilled to their essential elements, focusing purely on the boy and allowing viewers to add their own details. In the end, the airplane sails to someone else—perhaps a new friend—who kindly returns it to the boy. This was written with autistic children in mind but encompasses a wider subject; any child who is isolated, introverted or simply self-contained will find something of him- or herself to recognize and appreciate here.

Pub Date: Aug. 16, 2011

ISBN: 978-1-4169-9649-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Atheneum

Review Posted Online: July 5, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2011

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
STAR BRIGHT
by Alison McGhee ; illustrated by Peter Reynolds

- BOOK REVIEW
JUDY MOODY AND THE BAD LUCK CHARM
by Megan McDonald & illustrated by Peter Reynolds

- BOOK REVIEW
JUDY MOODY SAVES THE WORLD!
by Megan McDonald & illustrated by Peter Reynolds

bookshelf

IZZY GIZMO AND THE INVENTION CONVENTION

From the Izzy Gizmo series

by Pip Jones ; illustrated by Sara Ogilvie ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2020

A disappointing follow-up.

bookshelf

Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).

While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.

A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: March 1, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Peachtree

Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

- BOOK REVIEW
IZZY GIZMO
by Pip Jones ; illustrated by Sara Ogilvie

- BOOK REVIEW
DADDY'S SANDWICH
by Pip Jones ; illustrated by Laura Hughes

- BOOK REVIEW
THE INVISIBLE CAT!
by Pip Jones ; illustrated by Ella Okstad

bookshelf

RUBY FINDS A WORRY

From the Big Bright Feelings series

by Tom Percival ; illustrated by Tom Percival ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 3, 2019

A valuable asset to the library of a child who experiences anxiety and a great book to get children talking about their...

bookshelf

Ruby is an adventurous and happy child until the day she discovers a Worry.

Ruby barely sees the Worry—depicted as a blob of yellow with a frowny unibrow—at first, but as it hovers, the more she notices it and the larger it grows. The longer Ruby is affected by this Worry, the fewer colors appear on the page. Though she tries not to pay attention to the Worry, which no one else can see, ignoring it prevents her from enjoying the things that she once loved. Her constant anxiety about the Worry causes the bright yellow blob to crowd Ruby’s everyday life, which by this point is nearly all washes of gray and white. But at the playground, Ruby sees a boy sitting on a bench with a growing sky-blue Worry of his own. When she invites the boy to talk, his Worry begins to shrink—and when Ruby talks about her own Worry, it also grows smaller. By the book’s conclusion, Ruby learns to control her Worry by talking about what worries her, a priceless lesson for any child—or adult—conveyed in a beautifully child-friendly manner. Ruby presents black, with hair in cornrows and two big afro-puff pigtails, while the boy has pale skin and spiky black hair.

A valuable asset to the library of a child who experiences anxiety and a great book to get children talking about their feelings (. (Picture book. 4-6)