A sure-fire hit; what Oliver would like to do with his big sister should be next.
What older sister hasn’t wanted to make her baby brother disappear?
Every time Ruby asks her mom if it’s time to play, she’s putting a diaper on Oliver, fixing his lunch or feeding him. Ruby tries reading and dressing up her dog, Rory, but it’s not the same without Mom. Ruby, with Rory at her side, waves her magic wand (a stick) to imagine making the baby disappear; she also imagines hiding him in the cabbages at the supermarket, putting him in a yard sale, and—her best idea—building a rocket and sending him to the moon. Best of all is when Mom joins in the space adventure. While many versions of this familiar storyline are available, it’s Dempsey’s charming watercolor-and-pen illustrations that set this apart. The soft, pale hues against white backgrounds create tender scenes in a style that blends the wispy touch of Charlotte Voake and the sensibility of Jan Ormerod. Details add dashes of humor, delineate emotions and imbue Rory with personality (his doggie comments are fun). Each fantasy is illustrated with a full-page depiction of the deed in an appropriate style—a sign affixed to a tree for the yard sale and space-age typeface to narrate the trip to the moon.
A sure-fire hit; what Oliver would like to do with his big sister should be next. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 23, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6241-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
A welcome can-do story about environmental activism.
When Emmy and Callum hear a bird hit their window, they are worried that it might be hurt.
The bird flies away unscathed, but it gets Emmy and Callum thinking about what other parts of their home might be dangerous for birds—and what they can do to make it less so. With the help of their mother, they begin by putting decals on their windows, filling the bird feeder, and letting flowers go to seed. As the year progresses, they learn more about what birds need at different times of the year. In the fall, when birds migrate, Emmy and Callum turn off the disorienting porch lights and fill their jack-o’-lantern with healthy birdseed. In the winter, when snow falls, they build a shelter of sticks. Soon Emmy and Callum decide they want to do more, eventually involving the whole neighborhood in transforming the area into a certified wildlife habitat. As narrated by Callum, this book is an engaging guide to environmental activism. Emmy and Callum’s gradual shift from individual actions to community organizing feels organic and doable: Readers can accomplish almost all of the activities they model. (More information is provided in the backmatter, along with resources.) At times the prose gets clunky, but generally the text is clear and fun to read aloud. The gentle, pastel-hued illustrations feature a brown-skinned family and neatly complement the earnest and gentle text.
A welcome can-do story about environmental activism. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-8075-2753-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
An exuberant story that might encourage older children to consider Mom’s needs more often.
Where do moms get their energy?
The baby protagonist starts things off by putting the question out there: Do mommies ever sleep? Newsflash: Real-life children, particularly egocentric babies and toddlers, never ask this question. Yet this little one, who narrates in rhyme, seems genuinely concerned about how much Mommy manages to do, without stopping to rest for even a minute. Mommy seems to be attentive to her child’s every need, though she looks haggard and frazzled. In fact, the baby eventually becomes worried at how exhausted Mommy is and decides it’s time for some shut-eye: “I’ll show her bedtime’s fun!” The young narrator guides Mommy through a familiar bedtime routine, giving her a bath, reading her a story, singing with her, tucking her in under a cozy blanket, giving her a hug and a kiss, turning off the light, and saying a final “I love you” before the little one settles down for the night, too. This gently humorous, knowing story has an adult sensibility and will make a good gift for baby showers and new parents. Though the rhymes are a tad clunky, the illustrations, created with colored pencil and acrylic-painted paper collage, are lively and endearing. Mommy has lightly tanned skin, while her baby is brown-skinned.
An exuberant story that might encourage older children to consider Mom’s needs more often. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 26, 2024
ISBN: 9780316669665
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2024
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