Fascinatingly anachronistic and a tad long-winded, this book is an eccentric curiosity that will have both kids and adults...
Originally published by Polish poet and avant-garde filmmaker Themerson in 1938 and illustrated with charming line drawings by his wife Franciszka, this miniature hardback book in six chapters tells the story of Mr. Rouse’s unusual house-building challenges.
The little man has to explain with difficulty to the architect that not any old house will do: “I’m not a bird, you know; how could I live in a house made of leaves?” Neither a pagoda nor a skyscraper meets his needs, nor a block of flats, where “The houses are choking!” Finally Mr. Builder gets it. He rings up Mr. Rouse on the telephone to tell him the plans are done, and he will start building right away. After a challenging journey across country via bus, horse-drawn cab, train and plane, Mr. Rouse finally is able to inspect his new abode. He loves the house, but basic services are missing, and he has to work hard to get running water and electricity hooked up and a clock installed. In a style reminiscent of poems by Edward Lear and Lewis Carroll, typography is used humorously to illustrate Rouse’s eccentric antics.
Fascinatingly anachronistic and a tad long-winded, this book is an eccentric curiosity that will have both kids and adults puzzling over its arcane Briticisms and enjoying its Python-esque wackiness. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-84976-154-3
Page Count: 148
Publisher: Tate/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2014
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
An invitation to wonder, imagine and look at everything (humans included) in a new way.
A young boy sees things a little differently than others.
Noah can see patterns in the dust when it sparkles in the sunlight. And if he puts his nose to the ground, he can smell the “green tang of the ants in the grass.” His most favorite thing of all, however, is to read. Noah has endless curiosity about how and why things work. Books open the door to those answers. But there is one question the books do not explain. When the wind comes whistling by, where does it go? Noah decides to find out. In a chase that has a slight element of danger—wind, after all, is unpredictable—Noah runs down streets, across bridges, near a highway, until the wind lifts him off his feet. Cowman’s gusty wisps show each stream of air turning a different jewel tone, swirling all around. The ribbons gently bring Noah home, setting him down under the same thinking tree where he began. Did it really happen? Worthington’s sensitive exploration leaves readers with their own set of questions and perhaps gratitude for all types of perspective. An author’s note mentions children on the autism spectrum but widens to include all who feel a little different.
An invitation to wonder, imagine and look at everything (humans included) in a new way. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 14, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-60554-356-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Redleaf Lane
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2015
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