Misses the magic that the Kansas community brought to the original forest.
Frampton, the artist behind the real-life Firefly Forest in the woods of Kansas, brings her vision to readers all over with this book.
Tiny tea sets on toadstools, illuminated fairy cottages that beckon readers in, and glimpses of interiors, all of it dwarfed by real flowers and a frog: Heath’s digital artwork will be the main draw here, the charming details sure to give children ideas for crafting fairy houses, doors, and furniture of their own. Soft focus, golden light, and changes in perspective all lead readers into this world. Fairies are never mentioned; instead, “magical beings” are referenced, and the book alternates between talking about them in the third person and their addressing readers directly: “You’ve not been forgotten, is what they say. / We heard you calling and came right away. / We’re here to help you and happy to stay. // We love you… / We’ll lift you… // You’ll find your way.” Among the fireflies, readers are told, you will find “whatever you need,” and in turn, you need to “Show kindness and love in all that you do.” The text is maddeningly oblique throughout, its generic exhortations and promises practically irrelevant, and Frampton’s rhymes and rhythms are sometimes off, resulting in sometimes-tortured syntax. The target audience of children who believe in this sort of woods magic will be too young to gather much meaning, inspiration, or aid from these verses.
Misses the magic that the Kansas community brought to the original forest. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 13, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-250-12263-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Imprint
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers.
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
A solid, small step for diversifying STEM stories.
What does Annie want to be?
As career day approaches, Annie wants to keep her job choice secret until her family sees her presentation at school. Readers will figure it out, however, through the title and clues Tadgell incorporates into the illustrations. Family members make guesses about her ambitions that are tied to their own passions, although her brother watches as she completes her costume in a bedroom with a Mae Jemison poster, starry décor, and a telescope. There’s a celebratory mood at the culminating presentation, where Annie says she wants to “soar high through the air” like her basketball-playing mother, “explore faraway places” like her hiker dad, and “be brave and bold” like her baker grandmother (this feels forced, but oven mitts are part of her astronaut costume) so “the whole world will hear my exciting stories” like her reporter grandfather. Annie jumps off a chair to “BLAST OFF” in a small illustration superimposed on a larger picture depicting her floating in space with a reddish ground below. It’s unclear if Annie imagines this scene or if it’s her future-self exploring Mars, but either scenario fits the aspirational story. Backmatter provides further reading suggestions and information about the moon and four women astronauts, one of whom is Jemison. Annie and her family are all black.
A solid, small step for diversifying STEM stories. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 6, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-88448-523-0
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Tilbury House
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2018
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