Take the time to savor this lovely tale—again and again.
A bear cub learns to live in a leisurely way.
Charlie asks her grandfather Papa Jo what his hourglass does, but she doesn’t understand his answer: It “reminds me to take my time to get things done. Just like each grain of sand, every moment of your day is precious.” Over the course of an unhurried day, she begins to comprehend. Together the two bears make a mountain of vegetable peels—and a delicious soup. Afterward, rather than driving, they walk to the village. Charlie notices wildflowers she’s never observed from the car. Next: ice cream at Papa Jo’s friend’s shop and a trip across the lake to a nearby island. As Papa Jo rows them across, Charlie notices golden highlights on the lake and a bird diving into the water. Once ashore, Charlie watches dragonflies and frogs and sits with Papa Jo on a swing he built. Back home, Charlie overturns the hourglass and reflects on their day. “Did we take our time doing things today?” she asks. "We did," says Papa Jo as they watch the sun set, commenting that the sun also takes its time. Originally published in French, this very sweet story is a gentle reminder to slow down and take in life’s small moments, especially with those we love. Charlie and Papa Jo’s relationship is realistic and warmly cozy; the delicate, soft, misty illustrations are a perfect complement.
Take the time to savor this lovely tale—again and again. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: May 28, 2024
ISBN: 9781772783070
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Pajama Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.
Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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