When he makes a new friend, a self-reliant little dog soon realizes that life alone can have its downside.
Dog is pleased with his big blue suitcase, which he’s filled with his special possessions: “a bumpy little pinecone, a smooth rock with a hole in it, some dancing leaves, a really good stick, a soft, tickly feather, and a big shiny red button.” Confident and happy, he sets off to watch the moon and then snuggles down for the night on top of his suitcase—only to find in the morning he’s got company, in the form of a small mouse asleep next to him. Incensed, he demands this intruder leave, relenting a bit after Mouse admires his things and then agreeing to play one tiny game of hide-and-seek. When Mouse goes off on his own, the woods seem unusually quiet for Dog. What or who could Dog be missing? A combination of collage, gouache and crayon creates lovely and serene forest scenes in which individual personalities can balance each other in mutual camaraderie. The friendship theme—reminiscent of Frog and Toad or Ernest and Celestine—is quietly subtle and touching, with just the right amount of charm.
This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 9, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7344-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Nosy Crow/Candlewick
Review Posted Online: June 4, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES
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Diversity is the face of this picture book designed to inspire confidence in children.
Fans of Byers and Bobo’s I Am Enough (2018) will enjoy this book that comes with a universal message of self-acceptance. A line of children practices ballet at the barre; refreshingly, two of the four are visibly (and adorably) pudgy. Another group tends a couple of raised beds; one of them wears hijab. Two more children coax a trepidatious friend down a steep slide. Further images, of children pretending to be pirates, dragons, mimes, playing superhero and soccer, and cooking, are equally endearing, but unfortunately they don’t add enough heft to set the book apart from other empowerment books for children. Though the illustrations shine, the text remains pedagogic and bland. Clichés abound: “When I believe in myself, there’s simply nothing I can’t do”; “Sometimes I am right, and sometimes I am wrong. / But even when I make mistakes, I learn from them to make me strong.” The inclusion of children with varying abilities, religions, genders, body types, and racial presentations creates an inviting tone that makes the book palatable. It’s hard to argue with the titular sentiment, but this is not the only book of its ilk on the shelf.
Banal affirmation buoyed by charming illustrations. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: March 3, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-266713-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 9, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2019
Categories: CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES
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BOOK REVIEW
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)Pub Date: July 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4231-7573-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
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