“What are you going to be when you grow up?” is the question that kicks off this career-minded frolic and what follows is one boy’s epic response. The many answers range from typical “little-kid” choices (cowboy, basketball player, fireman), to the sensible (vet, dentist, plumber), to the more unusual (numerologist, lighthouse keeper, hypnotist). Doodle-like drawings in pencil with shots of muted yellows and reds crawl all over the page and little jokes can be found in every corner, such as a small “batteries not included” sign on the bottom of a jet plane. Turner joyfully caricatures each “job,” exaggerating the child’s point of view. The free-flowing creativity found in both the child’s career choices, and the hilarious illustrations plays out the theme well—that a child will believe he or she can do anything if allowed. The author also includes a “How to be an artist” spread that instructs the reader how to draw one’s hand, which offers a self-empowering (and humorous) touch at the end. Every inch of the book, including the copyright page, is handwritten and illustrated by Turner (Silent Night, 2001), lending a giddy and somewhat ’zine-like feel. The ever-changing text size and style, however, are at times hard to read. Some of the sharp-witted content might fly over the heads of young readers, but as Turner writes in his handwritten bio, he “creates truly innovative books for the child in the adult and the adult in the child.” He also gives suggested ages as 4–88, which says it all. (Picture book. 4+)
Pub Date: April 1, 2003
ISBN: 0-06-000953-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2003
This easy reader for children reading at the fluency level recounts the story of a girl named Mary Ann Anning and her dog, Tray. They lived on the coast of England in the early 1800s, although the time frame is given only as “a long, long time ago.” Mary Ann and Tray became famous for their discoveries of fossils, including dinosaur bones. They discovered the first pterodactyl found in England, and the name was assigned to their fossil. The story focuses a little too much on the dog, and the title misses a great opportunity to completely acknowledge a girl accomplishing something important in the scientific world, especially in a much earlier era and without formal training or education. Despite this drawback, both Mary Ann and Tray are appealing characters and the discovery of the fossils and subsequent notice from scientists, collectors, and even royalty is appealing and well written. Sullivan’s illustrations provide intriguing period details in costumes, tools, and buildings, as well as a clever front endpaper of fossil-strewn ground covered with muddy paw prints. (Easy reader. 6-8)
Pub Date: July 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-689-85708-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2004
Best for readers who have clearly indicated they would like to take their writing efforts to the next level.
A young white girl writes and illustrates a story, which is critiqued by the narrator as it is created.
The girl begins her story by drawing a Hero. Then she thinks maybe a Heroine would be better. Then she decides both will work. She places them in “a good town, filled with good people, called our Setting.” The narrator, an unseen editor who lurks over the artist’s shoulder, tells the storyteller she needs to put in some Conflict, make the Evil Overlord scarier, and give it better action. This tongue-in-cheek way of delivering the rules of creative writing is clever, and paired with Le Huche’s earnest, childlike illustrations, it seems to be aimed at giving helpful direction to aspiring young creators (although the illustrations are not critiqued). But the question needs to be asked: do very young writers really need to know the rules of writing as determined by adults? While the story appears to be about helping young readers learn writing—there is “A Friendly List of Words Used in this Book” at the end with such words as “protagonist” and “antagonist” (glossed as “Hero and Heroine” and “Evil Overlord,” respectively)—it also has a decidedly unhelpful whiff of judgment. Rules, the text seems to say, must be followed for the story to be a Good one. Ouch.
Best for readers who have clearly indicated they would like to take their writing efforts to the next level. (Picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-2935-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
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