This Belgian import may help some children articulate their anger but isn’t likely to inspire requests for repeat readings. Robberecht keeps the story simple. The unnamed narrator resents his mother’s negative response to an unspecified request. He describes the way anger makes him feel: first hard like stone, then fiery and destructive like a dragon. Goossens’s oil paintings, somewhat reminiscent of Lane Smith’s work, show the narrator’s transition from frowning, flame-haired child to raging, fire-breathing dragon. After striking out at his parents, the dragon-child feels ashamed and begins to sob. His tears wash away his anger, allowing him to reconnect with his parents. While some of Robberecht’s characterizations ring true (what child hasn’t accused his parents of always saying no?), other statements seem overly adult in their phrasing. The inconsistent voice is mirrored by the use of three typefaces and varying font sizes in every sentence. Occasionally this works to convey the narrator’s volatile feelings, more often it distracts from the story. Evocative but uneven. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2004
ISBN: 0-618-47430-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2004
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This distinctly gentle, earnest protagonist’s quiet triumphs still resonate.
A little bird yearns for more.
Last seen in Lonely Bird (2023), the titular character—an avian equivalent of a stick figure—resembles nothing so much as a cut-paper drawing living in a world of thick, realistic oil paints. Little wonder that she can’t figure out where she fits in. Perhaps the sky? But the real birds that can fly have wings that seem entirely different from her own. With pencil-sketched dreams of flight dancing in her head, she sets off to research the many ways of taking to the skies. Drawings and experiments lead to a series of tests. Lonely Bird builds a glider, tweaking her designs after a precipitous crash before finally attaining a bit of success. Alas, a downdraft causes her to crash in a spiderweb in a tree, her home below appearing comparatively distant. With her plane now crushed, how will she return? This book contains the very rare instance of a realistic-looking spider proving to be a capable friend and ally at a time of need. Lonely Bird’s final conclusion that “I know exactly where I belong” is heartening, though by no means clear. Her declaration may lead to some thoughtful discussions with young readers about why she feels the way she does. The children who reside in her home present white.
This distinctly gentle, earnest protagonist’s quiet triumphs still resonate. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781536226195
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
Young Dexter Dugan is just days away from starting kindergarten and his stuffed dog, Rufus, is a teensy bit scared. Dexter’s sister, Jessie, having passed through the rigors of kindergarten, is now a third grader and patiently guides him through some of his fears. She helps Rufus, or perhaps Dexter, make a list of the things that worry him about school. A page per fear drifts off the desk and shows the reader, for example, “What if I get lost?” and “Are there mean people?” As it turns out, the teacher is sweet and the activities are absorbing. The lunchroom is like a restaurant and recess is so exciting that all fears are forgotten—until Rufus goes missing. Once again, Jessie lends a hand and by the final bell, Dexter and Rufus are sure that kindergarten does indeed rock. The illustrations, in brilliant shades of crayon-like texture, lend a beguilingly childlike look. Told from a kid’s perspective, this is bound to boost confidence at facing fears and is a terrific tool for those setting off on the elementary track. (Picture book. 4-6)
Pub Date: July 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-15-204932-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2005
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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