A story-loving tot’s desire for bedtime reading to last longer leads him to try his hand at being an author.
Little Brown Bunny’s obliging family takes turns reading “just one more” book to him until the supply of stories runs out. The disappointed tyke comes up with the genius plan to write his own story, a long one: “Then storytime will last all night.” But a trial read-aloud with his stuffed dinosaurs reveals that his book is not nearly long enough. So, he makes the rounds among his friends, hoping to get some story ideas. Little Owl is an outer-space fan, Little Mouse likes anything about cheese and Little Wolf enjoys pig tales. The rewrites take the rest of the day. When Little Brown Bunny finally gathers his family for his first author’s reading, he is so exhausted that he falls fast asleep. Edgson’s artwork combines the bright colors, sweet facial expressions and adorable animal characters that are common fodder in bedtime tales. But Little Brown Bunny’s enthusiasm and persistence come through loud and clear—one can almost imagine that his tongue is sticking out of his unseen mouth as he hunches over his book, pencil in a tight grip.
Corderoy may be on to something here—Little Brown Bunny’s transformation from listener to author could prove inspiring. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: June 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-56148-746-2
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Good Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2012
Categories: CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S
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A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
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A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
Categories: CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S
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It takes a village to make a school. In Chad, big brothers and sisters lead the way for younger children on the first day of school. Little Thomas is full of questions. When he and the other children arrive, there are no classrooms and no desks. But the teacher's there, holding a trowel. "We will build our school," she declares. Everyone sets to work, making mud bricks that dry in the sun and a roof out of grass and saplings. Thomas loves his lessons; every day he learns something new. At the end of the school year, the minds of the students "are fat with knowledge." And just in time: The rainy season arrives and makes short work of the schoolhouse. Come September, they'll start all over. Rumford's illustrations make great use of color, dark brown skin and bright shirts, shorts and dresses against golden backgrounds, the hues applied in smudgy layers that infuse each scene with warmth—until the gray rains arrive. It's a nifty social-studies lesson tucked into a warm tale of community. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-547-24307-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2010
Categories: CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S
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