An entertaining seasonal diversion.
Busy tableaux offer readers the opportunity to seek and find disparate characters and items that figure in Charles Dickens’ beloved tale.
This book assumes familiarity with the story, and given the many adaptations clogging shelves and airwaves at Christmastime, it’s probably fairly safe in doing so. An aerial view of London with neighborhoods labeled will likely be off-putting to readers for whom Clerkenwell and Holborn are meaningless, but the challenge to pick out various itty-bitty Cratchits, a hovering ghost of Jacob Marley, and Scrooge himself requires no local knowledge. Subsequent scenes of picturesque London streets, 19th-century interiors, and, of course, the graveyard offer such seek-and-find delights as “a grinning grocer,” “a bowl of gruel,” and “Tiny Tim’s funeral.” Powell’s adapted narrative, such as it is, is an unvarnished summary: “The grandfather clock strikes one, / A strange specter appears in his room, / The Ghost shows Scrooge his past….” It is presented in a narrow band on the left of each double-page spread above 10 labeled items or characters to be found in the accompanying picture. Scrooge is present in every one, his emotion changing from setting to setting (“a grumpy Scrooge,” “a wistful Scrooge,” “a festive Scrooge,” and so on). Pigott’s flat, folk-art–inspired paintings are a good match for the work, presenting both Grandma Moses–esque detail ideal for the activity and a flat, staid look that evokes a period aesthetic.
An entertaining seasonal diversion. (Picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0624-3
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Sizzle Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 20, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2017
Hooray, hooray for this par-tay.
Five more stories featuring buddy pair Fox and Rabbit.
Following the formula of its predecessors, this third installment of the Fox & Rabbit series focuses on Sparrow’s “super-trooper special” birthday. A slightly unrelated opening story introduces a variety of animal characters as Fox—proudly adopting the moniker “Fix-it Fox”—goes around trying to solve everyone’s “enormous problems.” In the next story, Fox and Rabbit scheme to make the “biggest, roundest, yummiest pizza in the world.” They pilfer ingredients from Sparrow’s garden (a nod to the first book) and ask Mouse for mozzarella. Subsequent stories—each contained in a chapter—involve a pizza-cooking dragon, the “really awesome” party, and a birthday wish that finally comes true. Dudás’ full-color cartoon illustrations complement Ferry’s chipper tone and punny dialogue for an upbeat woodland romp. Even the turtle, who always comically arrives at the end of the chapter and misses most of the action, gets to enjoy the party. Another standout scene, in which Fox assumes Dragon doesn’t speak their language and speaks “Dragonian” unprompted, gently addresses microaggressions. Though all dialogue is clearly linked to each speaker, some scenes with lots of back and forth within a single panel gear this to comics readers with a bit of experience. Still, the eight-panel–per-page max and short chapters keep the text accessible and pace quick.
Hooray, hooray for this par-tay. (Graphic early reader. 6-9)Pub Date: April 20, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4197-5183-7
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Feb. 11, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
While this is not an essential purchase, most little pumpkins will love being told, “Baby, I'm batty for you!” (Board book....
Young children won't understand the metaphors but will appreciate the sentiment made clear by the repeated, Halloween-themed declarations of love in Wan's latest board book.
Each of the seven spreads presents an endearment illustrated by an object drawn with heavy outlines and just enough detail to invoke its essential characteristics. Lest it become too maudlin, between the “sugary, sweet candy corn” and a “purr-fect, cuddly kitty” is a “wild, messy monster.” Wan manages to make each drawing expressive and distinctive while relying on just a few shapes—crescents or circles for eyes, dots or ovals accenting cheeks. Although each spread stands alone, there are quiet connections. For example, the orange of the pumpkin is repeated in the candy corn, and the purple that adorns kitty's hat and bow becomes the prominent color on the next spread, setting off the friendly white ghost nicely. The same purple is used for the spider's body on the next to last spread. Subtle, shadowed backgrounds repeat the patterns found elsewhere in the book. For example, the background of the page with the kitty includes pumpkins, hearts, and hats and bows like the ones kitty is wearing.
While this is not an essential purchase, most little pumpkins will love being told, “Baby, I'm batty for you!” (Board book. 6 mos.-3)Pub Date: June 28, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-545-88092-3
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
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