What could be better than reading a good story? Sharing it with good friends, of course. Mary Clare has fallen asleep with book in her lap while Seymour, the sheep, Rachel, the rabbit, and Florentina, the big flowery bear, wait patiently for her to wake up. Seymour and Rachel pass the time amused by Florentina’s attempts to sit in a very small chair in lieu of her blooming large armchair, occupied by the snoozing Mary Clare. Their reader awakens to the pleas of her companions, eager to listen and see the pictures, scrambling from one chair to another, and all finally settling in the most comfortably accommodating seat in the house. Heap’s simplistic telling of a common storytime concern is nicely complemented by her acrylic childlike drawings depicting expressions of impatience, mild distress, and contentment in predominating pastel hues. Pleasing and reassuring. (Picture book. 3-5)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2003
ISBN: 0-7636-2111-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2003
A farmer’s bountiful apple tree is besieged by his hungry livestock in this lively countdown from the author of countless clever concept books. Rhyming verses tell the tale of the hapless farmer as he watches his animals gobble up his shining apples. The whole barnyard emerges one by one, from mighty horse to tiny hen, to sample the succulent fruit, emitting their distinctive calls when they’re through. “Duck came and ate one, / pick, pick, pick. / Quack, quack, fiddle-dee-fee.” Each time a piece of fruit is consumed, the farmer counts the remaining apples, beseeching the animals to leave one for him. Every number has its own two-page spread, with the featured numeral in oversized red text and the appropriate number of apples lined up next to it. Hutchins’s (Pink Pig, 1994) exuberant verses will have children chanting the refrain “fiddle-dee-fee” along with the farmer. Her vivid illustrations dazzle the eye with brilliant colors. A red outer border frames the pictures, which contain a festive row of sunny yellow flowers, running along the top and bottom of the page. The characters, both animal and human, resemble brightly colored wooden toys—as if a child’s toy set had suddenly become animated. The illustrated end pages provide additional counting practice for readers; counting up to ten on one side and down to one on the facing page. A welcome addition to the counting-book genre, Hutchins’s playful tale is an edifying and energetic romp. (Picture book. 3-5)
Pub Date: April 5, 2000
ISBN: 0-688-16797-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2000
In the end too much is left unanswered, making this book pleasant but only passable
A mouse searches for and finally finds her missing Seder plate.
Pippa is an industrious house-cleaning mouse. And no wonder—Passover is starting this very evening. Dusting and sweeping finished, she turns her attention to setting the table as a pot of chicken stew bubbles away on the stovetop. But there is one very important object that is missing: the “special Seder plate.” Frantically, the mouse searches through boxes and cupboards and finally ventures into the yard. First she encounters a very large cat and asks if it has seen the plate. “No,” answers the cat and points her to a snake, who sends her to an owl, who directs her to Golda Fish, prettily swimming in the water. Success! Kirkfield’s little tale is written in rhyming couplets with much repetition of “QUIVER! QUAVER! SHIVER! SHAKE!” for emphasis with each interaction with a predator, so readers will be mightily puzzled when the formerly frightful critters join Pippa at the holiday table. Weber’s gouache, crayon, and collage illustrations are sweetly pretty. The final illustration features a Seder plate with transliterated Hebrew and an English translation of the components. Readers familiar with the holiday may find this mildly enjoyable, but others will likely want and need more information.
In the end too much is left unanswered, making this book pleasant but only passable . (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Feb. 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4162-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 11, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
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