A nice reflection of a diverse, multihued world.
A girl walks readers through her day, introducing the many members of her diverse community in Howell’s (Shimmer, 2017) rhyming picture book with illustrations by Yang (A New Book for Jack, 2017).
A young, pale-skinned girl with red hair awakens in her room, which features a large picture of her mother, who looks just like her, and an African-American father. She listens to the local garbage trucks, then has breakfast: “Mom makes pancakes, / Morning’s cool. / Soon I’m dressed, / Ready for school.” Her brown-skinned younger sister sits in a high chair. During the day, the older girl greets her neighbors: mail carrier Juan, bus driver Mr. Lee, chef Mario at the pizza parlor, police chief Cho, teachers, librarians, and a vet and a doctor (both women). Later, the girl reveals that her father is the mayor. The book depicts a busy day with plenty for readers to see, filled with friends and family. The story is reminiscent of the Sesame Street song “The People in Your Neighborhood,” focusing on characters rather than plot; there’s no conflict but plenty of introductions to the figures who shape the girl’s world. Yang’s gentle, pastel-hued illustrations have soft edges, giving the backgrounds a painted look, and feature round-headed, large-eyed, cartoon-style characters. Howell’s steady rhymes make this an easy read-aloud.
A nice reflection of a diverse, multihued world.Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-387-02119-2
Page Count: 30
Publisher: MacLaren-Cochrane Publishing
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
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. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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