A young boy learns to expand his sense of wonder.
When Elliot leaves to go to school one rainy morning, he’s surprised to see his new neighbor, an irrepressibly cheerful girl, skipping and jumping behind him. When Elliot questions what she is doing, she patiently explains, “I’m trying to avoid these portal puddles, of course. And you should, too. You never know where you might end up.” She spins a fantastical yarn about how she was transported to Capt. Blackbeard’s ship the last time she stepped in one. The next day, she spies the pebble Elliot is kicking and declares it must be a shrunken space ship, filled with tiny ET’s. Elliot rolls his eyes, but he can’t help thinking about those space travelers throughout the day. As the week goes on, Ruby’s tales grow, and so does Elliot’s curiosity. Mundane objects like a piece of newspaper, a fallen branch, and a stinky garbage can unleash wild, inventive stories—with Elliot finally joining in. Wavy-edged pictorial thought balloons depict the imagined adventures while real life occurs in full-bleed images with generous white space. Sanchez cleverly portrays Ruby and Elliot with large, off-kilter heads and expressive eyes, which makes one speculate about the many stories filled to the brim inside. Diversity is only found in the background; both protagonists present white, though Elliot is a smidge darker than Ruby.
Imaginative play at its most fun. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 3, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68010-192-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: Jan. 21, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2020
Categories: CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES
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Carle’s famous caterpillar expresses its love.
In three sentences that stretch out over most of the book’s 32 pages, the (here, at least) not-so-ravenous larva first describes the object of its love, then describes how that loved one makes it feel before concluding, “That’s why… / I[heart]U.” There is little original in either visual or textual content, much of it mined from The Very Hungry Caterpillar. “You are… / …so sweet,” proclaims the caterpillar as it crawls through the hole it’s munched in a strawberry; “…the cherry on my cake,” it says as it perches on the familiar square of chocolate cake; “…the apple of my eye,” it announces as it emerges from an apple. Images familiar from other works join the smiling sun that shone down on the caterpillar as it delivers assurances that “you make… / …the sun shine brighter / …the stars sparkle,” and so on. The book is small, only 7 inches high and 5 ¾ inches across when closed—probably not coincidentally about the size of a greeting card. While generations of children have grown up with the ravenous caterpillar, this collection of Carle imagery and platitudinous sentiment has little of his classic’s charm. The melding of Carle’s caterpillar with Robert Indiana’s iconic LOVE on the book’s cover, alas, draws further attention to its derivative nature.
Safe to creep on by. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Dec. 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-448-48932-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2021
Categories: CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 14, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES
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