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MY BRIGHT FRIEND

Name: MY BRIGHT FRIEND
Author: Simon Boulerice
ISBN: 978-1-4598-2189-7

by Simon Boulerice ; illustrated by Marilyn Faucher ; translated by Sophie B. Watson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 24, 2019

Readers hoping for strong storytelling won’t find it here.

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A child coping with divorce finds comfort in an unexpected place.

The opening lines, translated from French, explain in a very unchildlike tone that “Ludo’s parents didn’t love each other anymore. There was nothing to be done—love is like a flame, and their love had been extinguished.” After this early mention of Ludo’s mother, she never appears again, and instead the story takes place when Ludo stays with his city-dwelling father. Ludo doesn’t like being there and spends his days indoors, but when he looks outside he sees a traffic light and is captivated. His father playfully tells him a “very patient little man” lives inside of it and changes the lights. Ludo believes him and worries about the man, so he decides to leave him toast with jam each night. He’s delighted when he finds only crumbs on the plate the next day, and Ludo’s father is, in turn, delighted by his son’s spirited imagination. A series of curious events suggests that Ludo isn’t imagining this exchange at all and that the little man really does live in the traffic light. Unfortunately, the wordy story’s logic has many holes, and they aren’t filled by the illustrations, resulting in a less-than-satisfying picture book. In Faucher’s bright, naïve illustrations, the cast is an all-white one.

Readers hoping for strong storytelling won’t find it here. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-4598-2189-7

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Orca

Review Posted Online: May 21, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2019

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

- BOOK REVIEW
FLORENCE & LEON
by Simon Boulerice ; illustrated by Delphie Coté-Lacroix ; translated by Sophie B. Watson

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: June 21, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
A PERFECT PLACE TO PLAY
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Jim Valeri

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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THE MOST MAGNIFICENT THING

by Ashley Spires ; illustrated by Ashley Spires ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2014

Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle...

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Making things is difficult work. Readers will recognize the stages of this young heroine’s experience as she struggles to realize her vision.

First comes anticipation. The artist/engineer is spotted jauntily pulling a wagonload of junkyard treasures. Accompanied by her trusty canine companion, she begins drawing plans and building an assemblage. The narration has a breezy tone: “[S]he makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!” The colorful caricatures and creations contrast with the digital black outlines on a white background that depict an urban neighborhood. Intermittent blue-gray panels break up the white expanses on selected pages showing sequential actions. When the first piece doesn’t turn out as desired, the protagonist tries again, hoping to achieve magnificence. A model of persistence, she tries many adjustments; the vocabulary alone offers constructive behaviors: she “tinkers,” “wrenches,” “fiddles,” “examines,” “stares” and “tweaks.” Such hard work, however, combines with disappointing results, eventually leading to frustration, anger and injury. Explosive emotions are followed by defeat, portrayed with a small font and scaled-down figures. When the dog, whose expressions have humorously mirrored his owner’s through each phase, retrieves his leash, the resulting stroll serves them well. A fresh perspective brings renewed enthusiasm and—spoiler alert—a most magnificent scooter sidecar for a loyal assistant.

Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle characterization for maximum delight. (Picture book. 4-7)