Lunch is more delicious when shared with people we love.
Stanley the hamster teaches young readers about different types of food and the joy of sharing.
Stanley and his furry friends—mice, moles, and a chipmunk, among others—go to market to stock up on food. The affable critters browse a variety of goods, snacks, and beverages, and then Stanley treats his brother to a picnic. The lovingly rendered animal characters and bustling market scenes have an undeniable charm. Stanley and his friends have rather European tastes, which isn’t surprising; author/illustrator Bee resides in England. Stanley buys a baguette and a loaf of brown bread, with cheese to go with them. Then he’s off to buy fruits, snacks (potato chips, crackers, and jelly), and some of “Charlie’s homemade scones and muffins,” which, fortunately, “taste better than they look.” Stanley’s final purchases are lemonade and cocoa powder. At home, Stanley makes sandwiches and hot chocolate, puts the lemonade in a thermos, and loads up his lunchbox. Its best feature is that it holds enough for two. Today, Stanley shares lunch with his brother, Herbert, who, amusingly, looks exactly like Stanley, with the addition of a waxed mustache. Culturally, the European market stalls and foods won’t resonate with all children. Similarly, in this time of rising wealth inequality and food insecurity, even the sense of plenty could sting those with fewer choices. Nevertheless, Stanley and his anthropomorphized friends have dignity, good humor, and a solid lesson for children. In companion title Stanley’s Toy Box, Stanley carries the titular container to the park for a day of play with his pals.
Lunch is more delicious when shared with people we love. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: March 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-68263-283-3
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2021
Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable.
You think you know shapes? Animals? Blend them together, and you might see them both a little differently!
What a mischievous twist on a concept book! With wordplay and a few groan-inducing puns, Neal creates connections among animals and shapes that are both unexpected and so seemingly obvious that readers might wonder why they didn’t see them all along. Of course, a “lazy turtle” meeting an oval would create the side-splitting combo of a “SLOW-VAL.” A dramatic page turn transforms a deeply saturated, clean-lined green oval by superimposing a head and turtle shell atop, with watery blue ripples completing the illusion. Minimal backgrounds and sketchy, impressionistic detailing keep the focus right on the zany animals. Beginning with simple shapes, the geometric forms become more complicated as the book advances, taking readers from a “soaring bird” that meets a triangle to become a “FLY-ANGLE” to a “sleepy lion” nonagon “YAWN-AGON.” Its companion text, Animal Colors, delves into color theory, this time creating entirely hybrid animals, such as the “GREEN WHION” with maned head and whale’s tail made from a “blue whale and a yellow lion.” It’s a compelling way to visualize color mixing, and like Animal Shapes, it’s got verve. Who doesn’t want to shout out that a yellow kangaroo/green moose blend is a “CHARTREUSE KANGAMOOSE”?
Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: March 27, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0534-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Parents of toddlers starting school or day care should seek separation-anxiety remedies elsewhere, and fans of the original...
A sweetened, condensed version of the best-selling picture book, The Kissing Hand.
As in the original, Chester Raccoon is nervous about attending Owl’s night school (raccoons are nocturnal). His mom kisses him on the paw and reminds him, “With a Kissing Hand… / We’ll never be apart.” The text boils the story down to its key elements, causing this version to feel rushed. Gone is the list of fun things Chester will get to do at school. Fans of the original may be disappointed that this board edition uses a different illustrator. Gibson’s work is equally sentimental, but her renderings are stiff and flat in comparison to the watercolors of Harper and Leak. Very young readers will probably not understand that Owl’s tree, filled with opossums, a squirrel, a chipmunk and others, is supposed to be a school.
Parents of toddlers starting school or day care should seek separation-anxiety remedies elsewhere, and fans of the original shouldn’t look to this version as replacement for their page-worn copies. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-933718-77-4
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Tanglewood Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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