by Rosemary Wells & illustrated by Rosemary Wells ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 27, 2010
A kimono-clad doll named Miki is sent to Yoko by her grandmother in honor of the Japanese holiday, Girls’ Day. Yoko brings her new doll candy daily in anticipation of the holiday, and the excited kitten longs to share this special tradition with her classmates. Disaster strikes when Yoko brings the dainty doll to school against her mother’s wishes and a schoolbus scuffle damages it. Fortunately, a timely visit to “Dr. Kiroshura’s doll hospital” soon restores the beloved heirloom to its former beauty. A surprise, humorous conclusion provides a sly caveat to potential bullies. Wells’s beautifully detailed illustrations are resplendent with textures and patterns. Shimmering hues of gold and a palette of luminous colors complement the enchanting drawings. Their elegance in no way compromises their warmth; a grief-stricken Yoko with her face buried in her mother’s skirt says it all. The end pages contain descriptions of both Girls’ Day and Boys’ Day traditions. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: July 27, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4231-1955-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
Share your opinion of this book
More In The Series
by Rosemary Wells ; illustrated by Rosemary Wells
More by Rosemary Wells
BOOK REVIEW
by Rosemary Wells ; illustrated by Rosemary Wells
BOOK REVIEW
by Rosemary Wells ; illustrated by Rosemary Wells
BOOK REVIEW
by Rosemary Wells ; illustrated by Rosemary Wells
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 22, 2019
A sweet reminder that it’s easy to weather a storm with the company and kindness of friends.
Is it a stormy-night scare or a bedtime book? Both!
Little Blue Truck and his good friend Toad are heading home when a storm lets loose. Before long, their familiar, now very nervous barnyard friends (Goat, Hen, Goose, Cow, Duck, and Pig) squeeze into the garage. Blue explains that “clouds bump and tumble in the sky, / but here inside we’re warm and dry, / and all the thirsty plants below / will get a drink to help them grow!” The friends begin to relax. “Duck said, loud as he could quack it, / ‘THUNDER’S JUST A NOISY RACKET!’ ” In the quiet after the storm, the barnyard friends are sleepy, but the garage is not their home. “ ‘Beep!’ said Blue. ‘Just hop inside. / All aboard for the bedtime ride!’ ” Young readers will settle down for their own bedtimes as Blue and Toad drop each friend at home and bid them a good night before returning to the garage and their own beds. “Blue gave one small sleepy ‘Beep.’ / Then Little Blue Truck fell fast asleep.” Joseph’s rich nighttime-blue illustrations (done “in the style of [series co-creator] Jill McElmurry”) highlight the power of the storm and capture the still serenity that follows. Little Blue Truck has been chugging along since 2008, but there seems to be plenty of gas left in the tank.
A sweet reminder that it’s easy to weather a storm with the company and kindness of friends. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-328-85213-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
Share your opinion of this book
More by Alice Schertle
BOOK REVIEW
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry
BOOK REVIEW
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph
BOOK REVIEW
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph
by Owen Hart ; illustrated by Sean Julian ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2017
Parent-child love and affection, appealingly presented, with the added attraction of the seasonal content and lack of gender...
A polar-bear parent speaks poetically of love for a child.
A genderless adult and cub travel through the landscapes of an arctic year. Each of the softly rendered double-page paintings has a very different feel and color palette as the pair go through the seasons, walking through wintry ice and snow and green summer meadows, cavorting in the blue ocean, watching whales, and playing beside musk oxen. The rhymes of the four-line stanzas are not forced, as is the case too often in picture books of this type: “When cold, winter winds / blow the leaves far and wide, / You’ll cross the great icebergs / with me by your side.” On a dark, snowy night, the loving parent says: “But for now, cuddle close / while the stars softly shine. // I’ll always be yours, / and you’ll always be mine.” As the last illustration shows the pair curled up for sleep, young listeners will be lulled to sweet dreams by the calm tenor of the pictures and the words. While far from original, this timeless theme is always in demand, and the combination of delightful illustrations and poetry that scans well make this a good choice for early-childhood classrooms, public libraries, and one-on-one home read-alouds.
Parent-child love and affection, appealingly presented, with the added attraction of the seasonal content and lack of gender restrictions. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-68010-070-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
Share your opinion of this book
More by Owen Hart
BOOK REVIEW
by Owen Hart ; illustrated by Caroline Pedler
BOOK REVIEW
by Owen Hart ; illustrated by Judi Abbot
BOOK REVIEW
by Owen Hart ; illustrated by Caroline Pedler
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.