by Ronojoy Ghosh ; illustrated by Ronojoy Ghosh ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 30, 2019
A lap will be a snuggly read-aloud home for this one.
A polar bear is permanently out of sorts.
George is forlorn; nothing gladdens his heart. He dislikes his house, and he can do without his current habitat—the city: unsuitable, too crowded. What’s a bear to do when he wants to return home? George doesn’t remember where that is, but he sets off anyway. He tries one place after another—the jungle, a mountain, the desert, and the sea. Each in turn has drawbacks, though George concedes the sea’s OK given that he “like[s] being in the water.” Still, George doesn’t belong there either. After days of travel, he eventually reaches “a strange white land” that’s “cold and covered with ice.” George is home! This sweet story is predictable, but its reassuring ending will gratify nevertheless. Many youngsters will recognize from illustrations of ice floes, snow, frozen landscapes, and climatically appropriate wildlife (including another polar bear) that George’s hunt has ended happily. The charming artwork is limited in palette to mostly blues and whites, with George’s fur delineated by vertical white strokes. The various habitats he visits are depicted minimally, with just enough simple details in each to suggest the new locales; plenty of blank spaces per page/spread will help children focus on George and his activities. Kids likely won’t notice, but adults will wistfully acknowledge the too-small floes appearing in one spread.
A lap will be a snuggly read-aloud home for this one. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 30, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-8028-5522-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Eerdmans
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2019
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by Kathryn Heling Deborah Hembrook & illustrated by Andy Robert Davies ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 1, 2012
Pair this with Leo Timmers’ Who Is Driving? (2007) for twice the guessing fun.
Heling and Hembrook’s clever conceit challenges children to analyze a small town’s clotheslines to guess the job each of their owners does.
Close-up on the clothesline: “Uniform and cap, / an invite for you. / Big bag of letters. / What job does she do?” A turn of the page reveals a macro view of the home, van and the woman doing her job, “She is a mail carrier.” Indeed, she can be spotted throughout the book delivering invitations to all the rest of the characters, who gather at the end for a “Launch Party.” The verses’ rhymes are spot-on, though the rhythm falters a couple of times. The authors nicely mix up the gender stereotypes often associated with several of these occupations, making the carpenter, firefighter and astronaut women. But while Davies keeps uniforms and props pretty neutral (he even avoids U.S. mail symbols), he keeps to the stereotypes that allow young readers to easily identify occupations—the farmer chews on a stalk of wheat; the beret-wearing artist sports a curly mustache. A subdued palette and plain white backgrounds keep kids’ focus on the clothing clues. Still, there are plenty of details to absorb—the cat with arched back that anticipates a spray of water, the firefighter who “lights” the rocket.
Pair this with Leo Timmers’ Who Is Driving? (2007) for twice the guessing fun. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-58089-251-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2012
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by Patricia Toht ; illustrated by Jarvis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 14, 2023
Egg-stra special.
The creators of Pick a Pine Tree (2017) and Pick a Pumpkin (2019) cover each step of a popular Easter tradition.
The first stop for a light-skinned caregiver and child is the farm. Peering into the henhouse, they spot an egg (reminding readers that eggs don’t originate at the grocery store). More eggs are collected throughout the spring countryside and brought home, ready to hard boil. While the eggs are cooling, it’s time to prepare the dye! The lively text highlights natural methods first (“Stew some plants / to make a brew: / beets turn eggs / a rosy hue. / Spinach? Green! / Berries? Blue! / Try some herbs / or spices, too”) but also gives a nod to store-bought kits. After a full day of egg decorating, the youngster wakes up the next morning for a festive neighborhood egg hunt. Happily, treats found inside plastic eggs are not limited to sugar only; they include secret notes, tiny toys, and coins, too. (The child adds their dyed eggs to this bounty.) Sprays of bright greens, a shining sun, and dotted buds on trees as well as pastel bunting and fuzzy bunny ears and flower crowns on little ones bring a light, airy lift to this joyful community gathering. The children involved in the egg hunt are diverse in skin tone. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Egg-stra special. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Feb. 14, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-5362-2847-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
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