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IS THAT A CAT?

Name: IS THAT A CAT?
Author: Tim Hamilton
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3384-1

by Tim Hamilton ; illustrated by Tim Hamilton ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2015

Even the endpapers are in on the fun.

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Will this series of mistaken identities have a happy ending?

“I wish I had another cat to hang out with,” says an orange tabby. Then she sees what she thinks might be the crook of a cat’s tail outside the window. When she goes to investigate, she finds an elf hoping for rain so he can test his new umbrella (the crook the cat saw). The elf thinks he’s found his rainstorm, but it’s the copious tears of a bear who’s sad he’s lost his boot. The bear thinks he sees his boot off in the distance, but that turns out to be the nose of a dog looking for a bone. The group grows with each case of mistaken identity, until, with a bird looking for a worm, they all find a boy filling his pool and hoping for a party of friends. When a group of kids passes him by without a glance, the cat asks the boy if the ragtag bunch of questers could stay and have a party. Much splashing fun ensues. Hamilton’s easy-reading picture book, told all in apparently hand-lettered dialogue bubbles, is a nice twist on the cumulative tale. Listeners and young readers alike will enjoy trying to guess what each item is before it’s revealed. The author’s scratchy watercolor-and-ink cartoon illustrations are, of course, a perfect match.

Even the endpapers are in on the fun. (Picture book. 2-5)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-8234-3384-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Holiday House

Review Posted Online: June 9, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
BUT!
by Tim Hamilton ; illustrated by Tim Hamilton

- BOOK REVIEW
THE BIG FIB
by Tim Hamilton ; illustrated by Tim Hamilton

- BOOK REVIEW
TREASURE ISLAND
by Robert Louis Stevenson & illustrated by Tim Hamilton & adapted by Tim Hamilton

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I AM A BIG BROTHER

by Caroline Jayne Church ; illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 27, 2015

A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an...

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A little boy exults in his new role as big brother.

Rhyming text describes the arrival of a new baby and all of the big brother’s rewarding new duties. He gets to help with feedings, diaper changes, playtime, bathtime, and naptime. Though the rhyming couplets can sometimes feel a bit forced and awkward, the sentiment is sweet, as the focus here never veers from the excitement and love a little boy feels for his tiny new sibling. The charming, uncluttered illustrations convincingly depict the growing bond between this fair-skinned, rosy-cheeked, smiling pair of boys. In the final pages, the parents, heretofore kept mostly out of view, are pictured holding the children. The accompanying text reads: “Mommy, Daddy, baby, me. / We love each other—a family!” In companion volume I Am a Big Sister, the little boy is replaced with a little girl with bows in her hair. Some of the colors and patterns in the illustrations are slightly altered, but it is essentially the same title.

A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an older sibling can do to help. (Board book. 2-4)

Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-545-68886-4

Page Count: 24

Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic

Review Posted Online: March 16, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

- BOOK REVIEW
WITH ALL MY HEART, I LOVE YOU
by Caroline Jayne Church ; illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church

- BOOK REVIEW
I LOVE YOU THROUGH AND THROUGH AT CHRISTMAS, TOO!
by Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak ; illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church

- BOOK REVIEW
I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER
by Caroline Jayne Church ; illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church

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OLIVER AND HIS EGG

by Paul Schmid ; illustrated by Paul Schmid ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 1, 2014

Still, this young boy’s imagination is a powerful force for helping him deal with life, something that should be true for...

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Oliver, of first-day-of-school alligator fame, is back, imagining adventures and still struggling to find balance between introversion and extroversion.

“When Oliver found his egg…” on the playground, mint-green backgrounds signifying Oliver’s flight into fancy slowly grow larger until they take up entire spreads; Oliver’s creature, white and dinosaurlike with orange polka dots, grows larger with them. Their adventures include sharing treats, sailing the seas and going into outer space. A classmate’s yell brings him back to reality, where readers see him sitting on top of a rock. Even considering Schmid’s scribbly style, readers can almost see the wheels turning in his head as he ponders the girl and whether or not to give up his solitary play. “But when Oliver found his rock… // Oliver imagined many adventures // with all his friends!” This last is on a double gatefold that opens to show the children enjoying the creature’s slippery curves. A final wordless spread depicts all the children sitting on rocks, expressions gleeful, wondering, waiting, hopeful. The illustrations, done in pastel pencil and digital color, again make masterful use of white space and page turns, although this tale is not nearly as funny or tongue-in-cheek as Oliver and His Alligator (2013), nor is its message as clear and immediately accessible to children.

Still, this young boy’s imagination is a powerful force for helping him deal with life, something that should be true for all children but sadly isn’t. (Picture book. 3-5)