by Antje Damm ; illustrated by Antje Damm ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 2017
An only seemingly simple but endlessly sweet meditation on patience
A lone bear enacts one half of a faithful friendship.
Bear, a friendly-looking ursine with light brown fur, saucer eyes, and a pointy snout “has been sitting and waiting since dawn” at a bus stop next to a cherry tree. He’s “waiting for Goliath,” he tells the world at large. Damm constructs her scene in three dimensions, a painted twig with flowers pasted on standing in as the tree, and cut, painted pieces of cardboard acting as grass and shrubbery as well as the bench Bear sits on. Bear himself is drawn on paper that’s cut and sometimes articulated, so he can be posed realistically (and humorously). Although the perspective never changes, readers will be transfixed by the diorama, watching how shadows cast by the grasses change as first hours and then seasons go by. A robin raises a family in the tree, which blossoms, bears fruit, and then drops its leaves before winter comes. And still, there’s no Goliath—indeed, “sometimes Bear forgets that he is waiting for Goliath.” When he wakes up the next spring following hibernation, “he hears a faint noise like a hand sliding slowly across paper. Goliath is coming!” Adult readers may be astonished when Goliath appears, unlike Godot; child readers will simply be charmed to see that Goliath is a snail. With not a hint of irritation, Bear finally leaves his post with Goliath to play.
An only seemingly simple but endlessly sweet meditation on patience . (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-7765-7141-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Gecko Press
Review Posted Online: June 26, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
Share your opinion of this book
More by Antje Damm
BOOK REVIEW
by Antje Damm ; illustrated by Antje Damm ; translated by Catherine Chidgey
BOOK REVIEW
by Antje Damm ; illustrated by Antje Damm ; translated by Sally-Ann Spencer
by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 2, 2019
Yes, the Pigeon has to go to school, and so do readers, and this book will surely ease the way.
Awards & Accolades
Our Verdict
GET IT
New York Times Bestseller
IndieBound Bestseller
All the typical worries and excuses kids have about school are filtered through Willems’ hysterical, bus-loving Pigeon.
Told mostly in speech balloons, the bird’s monologue will have kids (and their caregivers) in stitches at Pigeon’s excuses. From already knowing everything (except whatever question readers choose to provide in response to “Go ahead—ask me a question. / Any question!”) to fearing learning too much (“My head might pop off”), Pigeon’s imagination has run wild. Readers familiar with Pigeon will recognize the muted, matte backgrounds that show off the bird’s shenanigans so well. As in previous outings, Willems varies the size of the pigeon on the page to help communicate emotion, the bird teeny small on the double-page spread that illustrates the confession that “I’m… / scared.” And Pigeon’s eight-box rant about all the perils of school (“The unknown stresses me out, dude”) is marvelously followed by the realization (complete with lightbulb thought bubble) that school is the place for students to practice, with experts, all those skills they don’t yet have. But it is the ending that is so Willems, so Pigeon, and so perfect. Pigeon’s last question is “Well, HOW am I supposed to get there, anyway!?!” Readers will readily guess both the answer and Pigeon’s reaction.
Yes, the Pigeon has to go to school, and so do readers, and this book will surely ease the way. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-368-04645-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
Share your opinion of this book
More by Mo Willems
BOOK REVIEW
by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems
BOOK REVIEW
by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems
BOOK REVIEW
by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems
by Pip Jones ; illustrated by Sara Ogilvie ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2020
A disappointing follow-up.
Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).
While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.
A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
Share your opinion of this book
More by Pip Jones
BOOK REVIEW
by Pip Jones ; illustrated by Sara Ogilvie
BOOK REVIEW
by Pip Jones ; illustrated by Laura Hughes
BOOK REVIEW
by Pip Jones ; illustrated by Ella Okstad
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.