The perfect preview of New York City for early childhood readers and travelers.
The canine Charlie Wags ventures to New York City for a fun-filled, urban adventure in Wells and Barclay’s picture book.
Charlie the dog loves to travel (“How does he get around, you ask? He’s got a trick, it’s true! He gives his tail a little wag and ends up someplace new”), and in this picture book he takes in New York City’s traditional sightseeing highlights. He visits the Central Park Zoo and One World Trade Center, and checks out a Broadway show and Times Square. Charlie also views the city from atop the Empire State Building, cruises around the Statue of Liberty, and enjoys New York–style culinary pleasures (pizza and hot dogs). After a long day, Charlie heads home for relaxation and slumber following an enjoyable urban exploration. The text’s simple rhyme scheme focuses attention on rhyme and sounds, which can enhance early literacy skills. Sjöström’s illustrations—which combine the soft color palette and feel of traditional watercolors—portray both the time of day and the story’s happenings (a map at the book’s beginning highlights all of the places Charlie will visit) in a clear and aesthetically pleasing manner. The lovely images are primed to ignite wanderlust in young readers and encourage a desire for pursuing new experiences; this is especially true of Charlie’s picture wall, where he adds his photographic mementos of all the places he visits.
The perfect preview of New York City for early childhood readers and travelers.Pub Date: Jan. 6, 2025
ISBN: 9798990005006
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kendam Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 26, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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