A small boy selects an unlikely bedmate in this quirky tale from the author of the popular Davy Rabbit series (Happy Birthday, Davy!, 2000, etc.). As young Ben reluctantly trudges off to bed, his mother attempts to cheer him up by suggesting various stuffed companions with which he can sleep. Weninger’s wry humor surfaces in the ensuing dialogue between mother and son. Ben’s mother eagerly offers the softest, sweetest stuffed animals; yet a cozy teddy bear, a faithful stuffed pup, and a comical clown don’t make the grade. When Ben ultimately makes his selection—a fearsomely constructed stuffed toy—his mother is appalled. However, Ben’s response is keenly astute: “I know . . . He is very terrible and strong and mean. And that’s why I want him.” Weninger’s tale reveals that stout pragmatism of young children, which often leaves adults mystified. Readers will appreciate Ben’s reasoning: after all, what better to chase away the night frights than a creature that’s scarier than a young child’s rampant imaginings. Marks’s full-page watercolors are marvelously expressive. From Ben’s forlorn face to the hopeful stances of the rejected toys, his imaginative paintings draw readers into Ben’s world. One note of caution: the illustrations of Ben’s toy of choice elevates this tale from preschool appropriateness to young grade-schoolers; while little ones may take fright at the fierce ghoulishness of the toy, older, savvier ones will appreciate it’s macabre effectiveness. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: May 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-7358-1602-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2002
Give this child’s-eye view of a day at the beach with an attentive father high marks for coziness: “When your ball blows across the sand and into the ocean and starts to drift away, your daddy could say, Didn’t I tell you not to play too close to the waves? But he doesn’t. He wades out into the cold water. And he brings your ball back to the beach and plays roll and catch with you.” Alley depicts a moppet and her relaxed-looking dad (to all appearances a single parent) in informally drawn beach and domestic settings: playing together, snuggling up on the sofa and finally hugging each other goodnight. The third-person voice is a bit distancing, but it makes the togetherness less treacly, and Dad’s mix of love and competence is less insulting, to parents and children both, than Douglas Wood’s What Dads Can’t Do (2000), illus by Doug Cushman. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: May 23, 2005
ISBN: 0-618-00361-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2005
At her best, Rylant’s (The Ticky-Tacky Doll, below, etc.) sweetness and sentiment fills the heart; in this outing, however, sentimentality reigns and the end result is pretty gooey. Pandora keeps a lighthouse: her destiny is to protect ships at sea. She’s lonely, but loves her work. She rescues Seabold and heals his broken leg, and he stays on to mend his shipwrecked boat. This wouldn’t be so bad but Pandora’s a cat and Seabold a dog, although they are anthropomorphized to the max. Then the duo rescue three siblings—mice!—and make a family together, although Rylant is careful to note that Pandora and Seabold each have their own room. Choosing what you love, caring for others, making a family out of love, it is all very well, but this capsizes into silliness. Formatted to look like the start of a new series. Oh, dear. (Fiction. 6-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-689-84880-3
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2002
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