History, science and a guidance lesson all rolled into one, this could surely be the spark for many a school garden.
When Ms. Garcia’s students emulate Thomas Jefferson and his “first peas to the table” contest, will it bring out the best or the worst in two friends?
With Jefferson’s garden as a model for their own class plot, Ms. Garcia’s students start learning about his agricultural experiments as they prepare to participate in their own contest. Begun by Jefferson and his friends, the neighborly challenge allowed the winner to present his bowl of peas at a dinner. Twenty seeds and a small pot allow the students to get a head start on their gardening at home. Meanwhile, at school, they make garden journals, learn about composting and divide their garden up into three sections—roots, fruits and leaves. Narrator Maya and her friend Shakayla take the competition especially seriously, but the two have very different ideas and methods for growing their peas. Grigsby’s narrative flows well and strikes a good balance among Maya’s account, pea/gardening facts, the scientific method and a history lesson. Tadgell’s watercolors support this, using both full-page spreads and smaller, inset illustrations of the racially diverse students and their garden, as well as some from Jefferson’s day. The pea vines are appropriately twisty, while the pea blossoms exhibit their trademark paper-like texture.
History, science and a guidance lesson all rolled into one, this could surely be the spark for many a school garden. (Picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: March 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8075-2452-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2012
A memorable gallery of humanity (and its outliers). (Picture book. 6-9)
In the wake of Seasons (2010), an equally beguiling barrage of simple images demonstrating this French illustrator’s unusual technical command and sharp powers of observation.
Screen printed on pleasantly rough paper in a limited range of colors, each of the over 200 figures (one per page, with rare exceptions) is composed of a few sharply distinct, realistically formed elements. They float beneath a large word or phrase that identifies a familiar activity (“Sleeping”), occupation (“Rabbi,” “Balloon Pilot”) or personal feature (“Amputee”). Many are paired with the facing image, often to witty effect: “Spy” follows “Eavesdropper”; a “Contortionist” and a “Plumber” adopt similar poses; the wintry breath of a man “Shivering” echoes that of one “Smoking.” Though most sport pink skin and contemporary western clothing, Blexbolex extends his purview with, for instance, two Maasai “Warriors” leaping, an Asian “Heroine” brandishing sais, a “Cowboy” and a “Pirate” in traditional garb—not to mention a “Corpse,” a green-skinned “Alien,” a “Mermaid” and a variety of humanoids from myth and legend such as “Cyclops” and “Demon.” The artist could have made more of an effort to be nonsexist in his language (“Fireman”) and exemplars (“Secretary,” “Waitress”), but the overall diversity and visual harmony complement the sheer tactile pleasure of turning the pages to create, cumulatively, an unusually rich browsing experience.
A memorable gallery of humanity (and its outliers). (Picture book. 6-9)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59270-110-0
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2011
These four neighbors are great company, and their portrayal of aging is sweetly refreshing. (Early reader. 6-9)
Show-and-Tell will never be the same after Mr. Putter and Tabby and Mrs. Teaberry and Zeke are through.
Fall for Mr. Putter and his cat, Tabby, means crisp air, crunchy leaves and apples. But this year, the ringing of the school bell arouses a longing in Mr. Putter for school days gone by—globes, pencils, erasers. Just then, their neighbor’s dog, Zeke, streaks through the yard wearing half a cake on his head and sparks one of Mr. Putter’s infamous ideas. With Mrs. Teaberry as his accomplice, the two neighbors are soon scheduled to appear at first grade show-and-tell with their pets and their pet tricks…only Tabby and Zeke are not well known for any tricks. And by the end of the big day, the only trick they have done is a disappearing one: Zeke demolishes the class cupcakes, and then both skedaddle. Still, Mr. Putter gets to enjoy the school smells and sights and, especially, the children. And both he and Mrs. Teaberry enjoy laughing at the worst show-and-tell ever. Howard’s pencil, watercolor and gouache illustrations charmingly convey Mr. Putter’s longings, the mischievousness of his plan and his delight in being back in school. Rylant’s ever-fresh text will gracefully coax emergent readers into independence.
These four neighbors are great company, and their portrayal of aging is sweetly refreshing. (Early reader. 6-9)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-15-205071-9
Page Count: 44
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2011
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