Poor Mr. Bungles—readers’ enjoyment practically guarantees that he will face yet another bad day sometime in the near...
Calmenson and Yoshikawa’s high-energy romp follows the hapless Mr. Bungles through another calamitous day (Late for School!, 2008).
Though he's not late this time, the teacher’s bad day begins with a bump on the head before he even leaves his bed, and things only get worse from there: There's soap in his eye, jam on his tie and a hamster on the loose. It is this last thread that propels most of the story, as the teacher and his students chase the errant class pet through the school, around the track and into town. Momentarily airborne on the tail of a kite, Nibbles is finally cornered at the local pizza place, where he is nibbling some pepperoni. Calmenson’s verses reflect Mr. Bungles' breathless day. The clever format leaves the last rhyming word to the page-turn, allowing kids who are listening to shout out the answer. “Mr. Bungles sat down with a sigh. / He said, ‘Nibbles, you’re a smarty. / You ran us ’round till lunchtime. / Kids, let’s have a pizza… // party!’ ” Yoshikawa’s energetic artwork plays up the action of the text with bright colors and blurry lines that denote motion.
Poor Mr. Bungles—readers’ enjoyment practically guarantees that he will face yet another bad day sometime in the near future. Here's hoping his positive attitude holds up. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7613-5894-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Carolrhoda
Review Posted Online: May 8, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
For Berkner’s fans; there are much better books about children visiting imaginative lands.
Berkner’s children’s song gets the picture-book treatment with illustrations from Garoche.
What kid hasn’t made a massive pillow fort and imagined all sorts of adventures? Well, Berkner’s premise is that there is a land where everything is made of pillows, and three lucky children get to visit there. (They appear to be siblings, perhaps a blended family: Mom and one girl are black; Dad, one boy, and one girl are white.) The illustrations transition between depictions of obvious imaginative play in a bedroom to a fantasy world and back again at the end, when the parents peek in at the three asleep. Garoche’s art consists of photos of papercut artwork arranged in dioramas with some Photoshop details. Reminiscent of Michael Garland’s work (though more pastel in color) or that of Elly McKay (though less ethereal), the illustrations are a mixed bag, with layers and hard edges juxtaposed against all the pillows. The king and queen of the song are obviously stand-ins for the parents. Children who know the tune may not sit still for a reading, while those who don’t may wonder at the repeated refrain.
For Berkner’s fans; there are much better books about children visiting imaginative lands. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-6467-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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