A bouncy and buoyant take on the changing seasons.
Two siblings remark upon the seasons, exploring and playing in nature.
A child bursts into the room of a younger sibling, declaring, “it’s sunny!” “And early,” the other replies. The two head outside on a bright day and revel in all that spring has to offer. It’s not just sunny, but also “mucky” and “ducky” at the pond. The next series of spreads depicts a day of play in what is clearly summer (“ ‘it’s muggy…’ ‘and buggy!’ ”), followed by fall (“it’s windy and squirrelly!”) and winter (“I’m warm and socksy”). The children’s observations capture the sensory experiences of the seasons, many of them making unexpected connections depicted by the illustrations. (Summer is “fuzzy” when you’re holding a caterpillar.) Parts of speech are creatively employed: Fall is “goodbye-y” when you’re watching geese fly south for the winter, and winter itself can be “waity” if you’re staring out the window, longing for some snow to play in. The playful rhymes flow easily, beg to be read aloud, and would work well as creative writing prompts in elementary classrooms. There is a distinctly peppy, perky quality to the artwork: All the characters, depicted as White and living in what appears to be a middle-class home near a lake, are freckled, apple-cheeked, and nearly always smiling. The bows in the older child’s hair even consistently appear as if hearts are always floating nearby. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-21-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
A bouncy and buoyant take on the changing seasons. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: May 11, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4197-4181-4
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
A sweet story about falling in love with reading.
Told from the point of view of the pet cat, this story shows a reading family and the incremental ways in which a child learns to love books.
A toddler-age boy and his father, who both have beige skin and brown hair, pick out a book every night to read before bed, and the cat thrills to know it’s “Rectangle Time.” That means a “furry nuzzle” against the corners of the book as the father reads The Snowy Day aloud to his child. Time passes with the page turns, marked in the narrative by the cat’s surprise to see the boy, now a bit older, reading an Encyclopedia Brown book on his own and, after that, the even older lad reading rectangles that are “awfully small” (squinting readers will see it’s The Hobbit). The cat’s self-centered but affectionate voice is entertaining as he remarks that the boy is so engaged in reading that he momentarily dismisses his pet. The story, with its warmly colored watercolor illustrations and expressive feline, feels like a primer for adults on how to get their kids to fall in love with books: The house is filled with them; the (apparently single) dad models reading; and he regularly read aloud to the boy before his son could do so himself. (The author, currently the New York Times Book Review editor, co-authored an actual primer, How To Raise a Reader, 2019, with María Russo, that outlet’s former children’s-books editor.) It’s not a story with a climax or falling action, but the resolution—in the end, the cat merely decides that sleeping on the boy’s face will do—will still satisfy readers, especially book and cat lovers everywhere. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-16-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
A sweet story about falling in love with reading. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-11511-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
This tale of an aspiring librarian is ideal for all kinds of storytimes.
A vocal girl finds her vocation.
A diverse class of 12 youngsters finds out that Penelope, a Black girl with glasses and a barrette, will be the next student-librarian. Her classmate Angela, who drew a “Quiet Please” sign in anticipation, looks horrified by this choice, an interesting hint at conflict that goes unaddressed. Penelope has practiced for this role all year, working on her alphabetization skills and cementing her status as a book lover. Unfortunately, she also has a shockingly loud voice and struggles with impulse control, and her brief stint in the library is marked by fallen books, startled students, and a sudden domino effect when shock waves from her voice knock over an entire bookshelf. Penelope decides that her skills are better spent in outdoor storytime, and the book indicates that she keeps trying in the library. In real life, children’s and elementary school libraries usually aren’t as quiet as adult spaces, and this book could bolster the stereotype of the ideal librarian as sedate and shush-y. It’s also unclear whether Paige Turner Library is connected to Penelope’s school or a stand-alone building, raising some logistical questions. But this would be fun to read aloud, especially to a group of library lovers, and the bright, blocky illustrations are pitch-perfect for the tone. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
This tale of an aspiring librarian is ideal for all kinds of storytimes. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 11, 2023
ISBN: 9781665910545
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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