A perfectly silly story with a whopping visual punchline sure to delight young listeners and readers. Grandpa's teeth have disappeared from the glass at his bedside. He can't speak properly, and the teeth are nowhere to be found. The narrator, his sister, and his parents search Grandpa's room—a particularly well-realized creation with its cobwebs and underbed detritus— but to no avail. The police are called in, and while Grandpa and his faithful dog check a line-up of disreputable characters (and Mrs. Carbuncle, whose teeth don't fit properly), the whole town starts smiling, gruesomely, to prove that their teeth are their own. This begins to scare the tourists, so a collection is taken up, Grandpa and Mrs. Carbuncle are fitted with new teeth, and the false-teeth thief is unmasked on the last page. The fully modeled, highly detailed caricatures of faces, bodies, and furniture will elicit giggles, while the inherent humor of the situation is milked for all it's worth. (Picture book. 3-8)
Pub Date: Feb. 28, 1998
ISBN: 0-06-027671-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 1997
BOOK REVIEW
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren.
In talk-show host Fallon and illustrator Ordóñez’s latest picture-book collaboration, an elderly pooch waxes rhapsodic about a life well lived.
Observing Papa sitting in his chair watching TV all day, a young pup says, “I’m starting to think…you don’t do ANYTHING.” So Papa proceeds to list his accomplishments, both big and small, mundane and profound. Some are just a result of being older and physically bigger (being tall enough to reach a high shelf and strong enough to open jars); others include winning a race and performing in a band when he was younger. Eventually, the pup realizes that while Papa may have slowed down in his old age, he’s led a full life. The most satisfying thing about Papa’s life now? Watching his grandchild take center stage: “I can say lots of thoughts / but I choose to be quiet. / I’d rather you discover things and then try it.” Fallon’s straightforward text is sweetly upbeat, though it occasionally lacks flow, forcing incongruous situations together to fit the rhyme scheme (“I cook and I mow, / and I once flew a plane. // I play newspaper puzzles because it’s good for my brain”). Featuring uncluttered, colorful backgrounds, Ordóñez’s child-friendly digital art at times takes on sepia tones, evoking the sense of looking back at old photos or memories. Though the creators tread familiar ground, the love between Papa and his little one is palpable.
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781250393975
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Rosalba imagines how the grandmother who takes her to the park might soar with her over the city (New York), sharing the sights. Since ``Abuela'' speaks ``mostly Spanish,'' Rosalba mentions many Spanish words for what they see, and in their conversations. Though the storyline here is slight, the relationship glows with affection; the Spanish vocabulary is well integrated and clear in context. Kleven's illustrations—jewel- like collages of sparkling images and patterns, crammed with intriguing details—effectively transmit Rosalba's joy in her narrative. Pronouncing glossary. (Picture book. 3-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-525-44750-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1991
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