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THE SILENCE SLIPS IN

Name: THE SILENCE SLIPS IN
Author: Alison Hughes
ISBN: 978-1-4598-1706-7

by Alison Hughes ; illustrated by Ninon Pelletier ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 5, 2019

Just right for busy families who seek balance and mindfulness

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Sometimes silence is what you need most in this hectic, bustling world.

A young girl lives in a noisy world: There are parties and younger siblings, thunder and raucous birds, and a crowded, chaotic playground. When the fun becomes too much, that’s when the Silence slips in, gentle and comforting in a soft, white, animallike form, to help the girl find balance and inner quiet. Always coming when called, the Silence offers a peaceful rainbow, “long hugs. And mugs of hot chocolate by a peaceful fire.” The Silence and its friend the Dark tuck the girl in at night, safe and warm, and tend to her dreams. This ode to mindfulness, with its poetic text, offers reassurance to children often overwhelmed by their busy days so that they can find their own way back to calm and steady waters. The illustrations, done in pencil and charcoal and then digitally colored for a classic, old-fashioned feel, evoke the contrast between ruckus and serenity through their combination of fuzzy lines and sharp details. Full-page spreads draw readers into deep, earth-toned, impressionist backgrounds. The girl has pale skin and straight, black hair. The French edition, Le Silence se glisse près de toi, is beautifully translated by Rachel Martinez and has its own lyricism and lilt, perfect for Francophone parents and caregivers wanting bilingual options for their children.

Just right for busy families who seek balance and mindfulness . (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: March 5, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-4598-1706-7

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Orca

Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S HEALTH & DAILY LIVING

- BOOK REVIEW
WHAT INSPIRES
by Alison Hughes ; illustrated by Ellen Rooney

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LIFE EXPECTANCY
by Alison Hughes

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FLY
by Alison Hughes

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.

Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)