Ably demonstrates to young readers the value of doing a difficult but important job.
When Tanna’s father brings a lone baby owl to their home, Tanna discovers how much work it is to care for it.
One summer, Father returns from a hunting trip with an abandoned baby owl that needs care. Even though “it’s somehow cute,” Tanna is not impressed, particularly when she has to get up before dawn to catch lemmings for the owl to eat. Inside the house Tanna also has to line the floor with newspapers because Ukpik, as she names the owl, poops often. As time goes by, Ukpik demands more and more food, and Tanna and her siblings grow tired of catching lemmings as it grows and loses its cuteness. When summer ends, Tanna has to go away to school, and although she worries about the unfledged owlet, she is “happy not to get up at 4:00 a.m.” When she returns home the following summer, Tanna is in for a big surprise. The heartwarming text is based on Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley’s (Inuit-Cree) own childhood experiences, according to an opening note, including a stint in residential schools that is mentioned only glancingly in the story. (Sean Qitsuallik-Tinsley is of Scottish-Mohawk descent.) The backmatter gives readers more information about the authors and includes Inuktitut pronunciation guidance. Kang’s use of a soft, muted palette pairs well with the text to make the story come alive for readers.
Ably demonstrates to young readers the value of doing a difficult but important job. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-77227-250-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Inhabit Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2020
Charming and thought-provoking proof that we all contain multitudes.
Oscar winner McConaughey offers intriguing life observations.
The series of pithy, wry comments, each starting with the phrase “Just because,” makes clear that each of us is a mass of contradictions: “Just because we’re friends, / doesn’t mean you can’t burn me. / Just because I’m stubborn, / doesn’t mean that you can’t turn me.” Witty, digitally rendered vignettes portray youngsters diverse in terms of race and ability (occasionally with pets looking on) dealing with everything from friendship drama to a nerve-wracking footrace. “Just because I’m dirty, / doesn’t mean I can’t get clean” is paired with an image of a youngster taking a bath while another character (possibly an older sibling) sits nearby, smiling. “Just because you’re nice, / doesn’t mean you can’t get mean” depicts the older one berating the younger one for tracking mud into the house. The artwork effectively brings to life the succinct, rhyming text and will help readers make sense of it. Perhaps, after studying the illustrations and gaining further insight into the comments, kids will reread and reflect upon them further. The final page unites the characters from earlier pages with a reassuring message for readers: “Just because the sun has set, / doesn’t mean it will not rise. / Because every day is a gift, / each one a new surprise. BELIEVE IT.” As a follow-up, readers should be encouraged to make their own suggestions to complete the titular phrase. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Charming and thought-provoking proof that we all contain multitudes. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2023
ISBN: 9780593622032
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
Perfect for those looking for a scary Halloween tale that won’t leave them with more fears than they started with. Pair with...
Reynolds and Brown have crafted a Halloween tale that balances a really spooky premise with the hilarity that accompanies any mention of underwear.
Jasper Rabbit needs new underwear. Plain White satisfies him until he spies them: “Creepy underwear! So creepy! So comfy! They were glorious.” The underwear of his dreams is a pair of radioactive-green briefs with a Frankenstein face on the front, the green color standing out all the more due to Brown’s choice to do the entire book in grayscale save for the underwear’s glowing green…and glow they do, as Jasper soon discovers. Despite his “I’m a big rabbit” assertion, that glow creeps him out, so he stuffs them in the hamper and dons Plain White. In the morning, though, he’s wearing green! He goes to increasing lengths to get rid of the glowing menace, but they don’t stay gone. It’s only when Jasper finally admits to himself that maybe he’s not such a big rabbit after all that he thinks of a clever solution to his fear of the dark. Brown’s illustrations keep the backgrounds and details simple so readers focus on Jasper’s every emotion, writ large on his expressive face. And careful observers will note that the underwear’s expression also changes, adding a bit more creep to the tale.
Perfect for those looking for a scary Halloween tale that won’t leave them with more fears than they started with. Pair with Dr. Seuss’ tale of animate, empty pants. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Aug. 22, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0298-0
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
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