Despite his mother’s repeated reassurances, a tyke who observes changes in chicks and a puppy as seasons pass has trouble believing that he’s growing too. The text, originally published in 1947, hasn’t aged, but Oxenbury’s fresh take on the antique rural setting and stylized figures of Phyllis Rowand’s illustrations does add a livelier, more natural look. Though there’s an odd distance in the pictures between the pensive little boy and his hardworking, very young-looking single parent—the two seldom make eye contact, she is usually posed at least partially turned away from the viewer and her preoccupied reply to his persistent query (“Of course you are growing”) seems snappish—the boy’s doubt is one that might occur to many younger children. When the previous winter’s clothing proves too small, thus providing objective proof that he is indeed getting bigger, his exuberant cartwheel ends the episode on an emphatic, upbeat note. (Picture book. 4-6)
Pub Date: June 1, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-06-024716-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2007
Waiting for her very wiggly tooth to come out so she may use the tooth-fairy money to purchase a birthday present for Papá, a little Latino girl is encouraged by her family to facilitate its extraction with bites of an apple or corn cob and string tied to a doorknob—to no avail. With no dinero, a homemade poetry card will have to do, even as the tooth pops out just in time for the celebration. This youngster receives the best reward for her bright gap-toothed smile—the love and appreciation of her Papá. Elya’s clever, singsong rhyme smoothly blends in Spanish vocabulary, signaled in bold within the text. “Oh, when will I lose it? / I’m hoping—espero— / that it’ll be soon, / since I need dinero!” Mattheson’s accompanying clean-lined oil illustrations, with their round shapes and bold primary colors, bring a Latin flavor to the scene, although it’s regrettable that there is no visual evidence of the loose tooth. A glossary ensures further comprehension, even though the bilingual poemas will provide no problemas. (Picture book. 4-6)
Pub Date: June 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-399-24459-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2008
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
In this whimsical account of enduring a cold, a boy begins by describing his symptoms, from runny nose and sore throat through fever. Vibrant digitally enhanced ink illustrations portray the boy as he goes through the stages of being sick and, along with the text, venture into the world of imagination when the boy recovers and thinks about where his cold might have gone. He recalls colds past, envisioning the bug as an anthropomorphic, green, red-nosed creature who visits people he knows, and wonders if his cold is traveling the world, visiting places such as Canada, the Alps and Peru. The colorful pictures show each area with basic, identifiable details and present people of various races and cultures throughout the world, while the playful story’s gentle humor will engage and entertain. It turns out the cold hasn’t traveled that far though; the boy realizes it’s traveled across the hall—to his sister’s room. Quirky and unusual, with a touch of multiculturalism, this may be just the right book to entertain a child who is feeling ill. (Picture book. 4-6)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-399-25474-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Dec. 22, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2010
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