Be ready for some rousing read-alouds! (Picture book. 4-7)
It’s another noisy alphabet romp.
Flat, digitally composed characters and scenarios generate noises for each letter of the alphabet. As the noisy narrative begins, readers will need to look carefully. The initial spread shows a peaceful interior, with a grandfather-type figure with a white mustache watering a houseplant, a child bouncing a ball, and a cat snoozing. In the next spread, the grandfather-type sneezes (“Ah…Ah…Ah…Ah-choo!”), startling the child, who loses control of the ball, which bounces out the window (“BIFF! BOP! BOOM! BOING!”), and the chase is on. “FLIP…FLOP…FLUMP”: A blue bulldog enters the scene chasing the ball and then grabbing it, leading the pursuing child and grandfather past the ice cream cart (“KA-CHING!” goes its till as the duo buy cones), through the park, into a duck pond (“Quack?”), and finally back home, where the child—Xavier—is welcomed warmly. But even as Xavier falls asleep, the grandfather seems to be beginning another sneeze….Aside from Xavier’s name, the only text is onomatopoeia, either the sounds of objects or nonverbal vocalizations such as sighs and grunts. The flow from spread to spread is clever, fluid, and active, with much to point and giggle at. The grandfather figure and the person who welcomes Xavier back home both have light-brown skin, while Xavier is pale.
Be ready for some rousing read-alouds! (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 21, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4814-8755-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 27, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2018
Between its autumn and field-trip themes and the fact that not many books start countdowns from 20, this may find its way to...
A class visits the pumpkin patch, giving readers a chance to count down from 20.
At the farm, Farmer Mixenmatch gives them the tour, which includes a petting zoo, an educational area, a corn maze and a tractor ride to the pumpkin patch. Holub’s text cleverly though not always successfully rhymes each child’s name within the line: “ ‘Eighteen kids get on our bus,’ says Russ. / ‘But someone’s late,’ says Kate. / ‘Wait for me!’ calls Kiri.” Pumpkins at the tops of pages contain the numerals that match the text, allowing readers to pair them with the orange-colored, spelled-out numbers. Some of the objects proffered to count are a bit of a stretch—“Guess sixteen things we’ll see,” count 14 cars that arrived at the farm before the bus—but Smith’s artwork keeps things easy to count, except for a challenging page that asks readers to search for 17 orange items (answers are at the bottom, upside down). Strangely, Holub includes one page with nothing to count—a sign marks “15 Pumpkin Street.” Charming, multicultural round-faced characters and lots of detail encourage readers to go back through the book scouring pages for the 16 things the kids guessed they might see. Endpapers featuring a smattering of pumpkin facts round out the text.
Between its autumn and field-trip themes and the fact that not many books start countdowns from 20, this may find its way to many library shelves. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: July 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8075-6660-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This warm family story is a splendid showcase for the combined talents of Medina, a Pura Belpré award winner, and Dominguez,...
Abuela is coming to stay with Mia and her parents. But how will they communicate if Mia speaks little Spanish and Abuela, little English? Could it be that a parrot named Mango is the solution?
The measured, evocative text describes how Mia’s español is not good enough to tell Abuela the things a grandmother should know. And Abuela’s English is too poquito to tell Mia all the stories a granddaughter wants to hear. Mia sets out to teach her Abuela English. A red feather Abuela has brought with her to remind her of a wild parrot that roosted in her mango trees back home gives Mia an idea. She and her mother buy a parrot they name Mango. And as Abuela and Mia teach Mango, and each other, to speak both Spanish and English, their “mouths [fill] with things to say.” The accompanying illustrations are charmingly executed in ink, gouache, and marker, “with a sprinkling of digital magic.” They depict a cheery urban neighborhood and a comfortable, small apartment. Readers from multigenerational immigrant families will recognize the all-too-familiar language barrier. They will also cheer for the warm and loving relationship between Abuela and Mia, which is evident in both text and illustrations even as the characters struggle to understand each other. A Spanish-language edition, Mango, Abuela, y yo, gracefully translated by Teresa Mlawer, publishes simultaneously.
This warm family story is a splendid showcase for the combined talents of Medina, a Pura Belpré award winner, and Dominguez, an honoree. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6900-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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