Skip.
Bill Bowerbird, normally a happy fellow, awakens one morning with a terrible pain in his beak.
Bill is distraught. He has never had a beak-ache before and does not know what to do. Off he goes to seek help from his friends. The owl offers honey, and the zebras allow Bill to take a few of their colorful stripes. Neither helps, but Bill does not give up: he soldiers on, asking friend after friend for advice in rhyming couplets. Though he collects many items to take back to his nest, not one of them relieves his pain, not even the frozen carrot from the walrus who serves as town clerk. By the story’s conclusion, however, Bill is pain-free at last. To his surprise, the pain was only—and very improbably—a new tooth sprouting! Bill celebrates by inviting all of his friends over to thank them with a party before cleaning his nest of all the new stuff. Canadian writer and illustrator Burke’s book is rich with colors—the confetti-striped zebras are an especial treat—but the text suffers. Though the refrain is catchy (“Wickety-tickety BOO-hoo-hoo!”), the rhyming text is often badly forced: “ ‘What to do, what to do?’ Bill loudly wails. / ‘Please help me, friends, to cure this ail!’ ” The plot likewise feels underdeveloped, and its failure to capitalize on what makes real bowerbirds special—their elaborately constructed nests—is a serious missed opportunity.
Skip. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 15, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-77147-154-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Owlkids Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A welcome addition to autumnal storytelling—and to tales of traditional enemies overcoming their history.
Ferry and the Fans portray a popular seasonal character’s unlikely friendship.
Initially, the protagonist is shown in his solitary world: “Scarecrow stands alone and scares / the fox and deer, / the mice and crows. / It’s all he does. It’s all he knows.” His presence is effective; the animals stay outside the fenced-in fields, but the omniscient narrator laments the character’s lack of friends or places to go. Everything changes when a baby crow falls nearby. Breaking his pole so he can bend, the scarecrow picks it up, placing the creature in the bib of his overalls while singing a lullaby. Both abandon natural tendencies until the crow learns to fly—and thus departs. The aabb rhyme scheme flows reasonably well, propelling the narrative through fall, winter, and spring, when the mature crow returns with a mate to build a nest in the overalls bib that once was his home. The Fan brothers capture the emotional tenor of the seasons and the main character in their panoramic pencil, ballpoint, and digital compositions. Particularly poignant is the close-up of the scarecrow’s burlap face, his stitched mouth and leaf-rimmed head conveying such sadness after his companion goes. Some adults may wonder why the scarecrow seems to have only partial agency, but children will be tuned into the problem, gratified by the resolution.
A welcome addition to autumnal storytelling—and to tales of traditional enemies overcoming their history. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-06-247576-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Though books on childhood anxiety are numerous, it is worth making space on the shelf for this one.
Brock may be dressed like a superhero, but he sure doesn’t feel like one, as social anxieties threaten to rain on his fun .
Juan’s superhero-themed birthday party is about to start, but Brock is feeling trepidatious about attending without his brother as his trusty sidekick. His costume does not fit quite right, and he is already running late, and soon Brock is “way past worried.” When he arrives at the party he takes some deep breaths but is still afraid to jump in and so hides behind a tree. Hiding in the same tree is the similarly nervous Nelly, who’s new to the neighborhood. Through the simple act of sharing their anxieties, the children find themselves ready to face their fears. This true-to-life depiction of social anxiety is simply but effectively rendered. While both Nelly and Brock try taking deep breathes to calm their anxieties without success, it is the act of sharing their worries in a safe space with someone who understands that ultimately brings relief. With similar themes, Brock’s tale would make a lovely companion for Tom Percival’s Ruby Finds a Worry (2019) on social-emotional–development bookshelves. Brock is depicted with black hair and tan skin, Nelly presents White, and peers at the party appear fairly diverse.
Though books on childhood anxiety are numerous, it is worth making space on the shelf for this one. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-8075-8686-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
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