Unwieldy but consistently (amazingly, considering the square footage) inventive in scenarios and details. Bring a magnifier...
In this supersized Where’s Waldo?–style French import, cutaway views teem with tiny figures and silly business.
The brain-bending bustle begins “Inside Buildings,” with a row of apartment houses festooned with hundreds of residents in over 50 rooms, on the street, and up on the roofs. Tenacious searchers are challenged to spot 50 particular items or people, but there’s a lot more to see: here a fire; there a flood; elsewhere Peter Pan swooping in to pick up Wendy, a marriage proposal, a tattoo artist at work, two gents sharing a hot tub under the stars, a living room concert, parties, pet chases, and more. The action continues in eight further populous locales, from “Inside the Hospital” to “Inside the Library,” with 10 recurring figures—including a potted plant with a face and a bodybuilder in a thong—to add to new items. The big-headed, toylike tiny humans are all roughly the same size, so children and grown-ups are often indistinguishable, and though most are white, many have light or dark brown skin, and some appear to be Asian.
Unwieldy but consistently (amazingly, considering the square footage) inventive in scenarios and details. Bring a magnifier and a bottle of Visine. (Novelty. 4-10)Pub Date: July 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-2-7338-4684-1
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Auzou Publishing
Review Posted Online: Aug. 6, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Trisha is ready to start at a new school, where no one will know she has dyslexia. At first, she is heartbroken to be in Miss Peterson’s special-ed class, aka, “the junkyard.” But Miss Peterson treats the children as anything but junk, showing them that everyone has a unique talent. Polacco’s trademark style is fully present here; her sensitively drawn alter ego shines with depth of feeling. When bullying occurs, Miss Peterson proves her students are worthwhile by planning a junkyard field trip, where they find valuable objects to be used in exciting ways. Trisha’s group repairs a plane, and the class buys an engine for it. Then a beloved class member dies, and the children must find a way to honor him. While the plot meanders somewhat, the characters are appealing, believable and provide a fine portrayal of a truly special class. Children will be drawn in by the story’s warmth and gentle humor and will leave with a spark of inspiration, an appreciation of individual differences and a firm anti-bullying message, all underscored by the author’s note that concludes the book. (Picture book. 7-10)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-399-25078-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
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