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LISTENING TO THE QUIET

Name: LISTENING TO THE QUIET
Author: Cassie Silva
ISBN: 9781915244482

by Cassie Silva ; illustrated by Frances Ives ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 5, 2023

A personal, child-friendly approach to sensory changes.

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As Jacki’s mother begins to lose her hearing, the two of them learn sign language.

Jacki (who is brown-skinned like Mama) wants to remain close to her mom; she even tries to block sound “and listen…to the quiet.” She seems reluctant to enjoy Music Appreciation Days, when children in her diverse class must demonstrate musical skills. Tan-skinned Sam makes sounds with a rainstick; brown-skinned Carlos beats a bombo drum. After realizing that Mama can feel vibrations coming from speakers playing a beloved song, Jacki decides to share the tune in sign language and asks her classmates to stomp or tap their feet. Her mom comes to class, too, and “signs back.” The book was inspired by an actual incident in Silva’s life, discussed in an author’s note that mentions American and British sign language and other versions of sign language. Practical aids for people with hearing loss are deftly integrated into the narrative. When Jacki and her mom forget to monitor a cake in the oven, a smoke alarm flashes. Fairy lights connected to a motion sensor twinkle to let them know that visitors are here. Mama’s friends always face her so that she can read their lips. A few signs (with meanings in small print) are incorporated into the serene, muted multimedia illustrations, which occasionally erupt in movement. This gently loving story will be especially appreciated by readers whose family members, friends, or classmates are experiencing hearing loss. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A personal, child-friendly approach to sensory changes. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023

ISBN: 9781915244482

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Lantana

Review Posted Online: June 21, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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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

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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)