An upbeat and eye-opening primer on dealing with myopia.
Misty Mole realizes that her eyesight needs correcting.
Misty’s friend Sunny Squirrel says that Misty’s painting of the Woodlands is all wrong. Walking to school, Misty trips over obstacles in her path. When Mrs. Owly asks students to read from the board, Misty squints and must stand close. Farley Fox taunts Misty, launching a paper airplane her way; she sees only a blur. Misty imagines she’s Super Mole, with the power to see far-off objects. Then Mrs. Owly announces a schoolwide art competition. Farley is convinced that Misty’s “weird” paintings will lose; Misty, who loves art, sadly wonders if that’s what others think of her work. Mrs. Owly tells Misty she’s noticed her vision difficulties and says the school nurse might be able to help. Misty eventually sees an eye doctor, is diagnosed with myopia (she’s near-sighted, or, as this U.K. import puts it, “short-sighted”), and selects a pair of “sparkly, rosy” glasses. Thereafter, exuding Super Mole’s confidence and strength, Misty doesn’t stumble, sees friends from afar, dodges paper planes—and, oh, wins the art contest with her “blurry,” Monet-like painting. Youngsters who’ve acquired new glasses themselves will be uplifted by this reassuring tale, written by an optometrist. It’s also an important wake-up call for adults to have their children’s vision corrected. Walter’s muted illustrations are lively; snub-nosed Misty and the other animal characters are endearing.
An upbeat and eye-opening primer on dealing with myopia. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 11, 2024
ISBN: 9781915584182
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Neem Tree Press
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle...
Making things is difficult work. Readers will recognize the stages of this young heroine’s experience as she struggles to realize her vision.
First comes anticipation. The artist/engineer is spotted jauntily pulling a wagonload of junkyard treasures. Accompanied by her trusty canine companion, she begins drawing plans and building an assemblage. The narration has a breezy tone: “[S]he makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!” The colorful caricatures and creations contrast with the digital black outlines on a white background that depict an urban neighborhood. Intermittent blue-gray panels break up the white expanses on selected pages showing sequential actions. When the first piece doesn’t turn out as desired, the protagonist tries again, hoping to achieve magnificence. A model of persistence, she tries many adjustments; the vocabulary alone offers constructive behaviors: she “tinkers,” “wrenches,” “fiddles,” “examines,” “stares” and “tweaks.” Such hard work, however, combines with disappointing results, eventually leading to frustration, anger and injury. Explosive emotions are followed by defeat, portrayed with a small font and scaled-down figures. When the dog, whose expressions have humorously mirrored his owner’s through each phase, retrieves his leash, the resulting stroll serves them well. A fresh perspective brings renewed enthusiasm and—spoiler alert—a most magnificent scooter sidecar for a loyal assistant.
Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle characterization for maximum delight. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-55453-704-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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