An accessible entrance into the world of social-emotional skills.
What do you do when the world turns upside down?
Freckled redhead Tilda is a happy only child with a rollicking personality. With lots of books and toys and a multiracial group of friends, life is perfect as far as she’s concerned…until her world undergoes a troubling change (a subtle hint in the illustrations suggests that Tilda’s parents have divorced). Suddenly, nothing feels right, everything seems hard, and she doesn’t want to play with her friends. To reflect this emotional disorientation, the artwork shows Tilda in spatially distorted settings, complete with upside-down objects. It’s not until she sees an upturned ladybug struggle persistently before getting back on its feet (despite Tilda’s desire to help, the ladybug needs to help itself) that Tilda gains the courage to start taking baby steps in order to cope with her new reality. There are still challenges, and she needs to persevere, but eventually, she regains her zest for life and reconnects with her friends. Despite this, the ending avoids an easy happily-ever-after, which feels just right for the subject matter. Though a trifle didactic, the story sends an important message about the roles of self-efficacy and persistence when it comes to overcoming challenges and building resilience. Percival’s digital illustrations use transitions from grayscale to color to create symbolic meaning and have psychological depth, deftly capturing a child’s experience of trauma.
An accessible entrance into the world of social-emotional skills. (author's note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0822-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2022
A cozy “playdate.” (Picture book. 3-5)
Behavior modeling for the almost potty-trained, with some decidedly odd developments between its padded covers.
Pip has so much fun playing at his friend Posy’s house that he “forgot he needed to pee.” No problem: With a soothing, “It’s OK, Pip,” and, “Everyone has accidents sometimes,” Posy mops up the puddle and then leads him to her dresser, from which he selects a fetching sundress to wear in place of his pants. In cartoon illustrations as simple as the one-or-two-sentence-per-spread text, Scheffler portrays the pair—one a bunny, the other probably a mouse—playing happily in a succession of adult-free indoor settings that are heavily strewn with toys and popeyed, bemused-looking dolls. Readers, too, may be a bit bemused when Pip not only takes his next pee sitting down (on a training potty), but then joins Posy in the sudsy tub that she’s drawn and prepared.
A cozy “playdate.” (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Dec. 27, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-7636-5878-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Review Posted Online: Nov. 1, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2011
An energetic, simple exploration of food’s journey from farm to table for today’s young locavores.
Chepito, an inquisitive little boy, wanders around his agricultural community posing the titular question to the various people he encounters, all laborers involved in food production.
Manuel tends corn, Ramón milks the cow, and Maria makes tortillas. As Chepito asks his friendly neighbors why they are doing their various activities, they each respond in a way that helps him to understand not only what it is that they are doing, but how it connects to his life specifically. When asked why she is feeding the chickens, Doña Ana tells him, “So that they can grow strong and lay good eggs like the ones you just had for breakfast.” The soft, earthy palette of the illustrations is well-suited for the rural setting. Each character wears a subtle grin on his or her face, complementing the curious tone of the narrative. Spanish words are presented throughout the text, blended in with the English without the use of special typeface or simultaneous translations, though context makes them clear: Juan and Dolores are tying plants to sticks “[s]o that these beans can grow on the plants. See the frijoles inside?” A brief glossary at the end provides the English definitions of the Spanish words.
An energetic, simple exploration of food’s journey from farm to table for today’s young locavores. (glossary) (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 10, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-55498-453-4
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Groundwood
Review Posted Online: April 15, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2014
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