Downright delicious.
An adult and a child make astonishing discoveries as they explore the forest after the rain.
“On a mushroom day,” a gap-toothed child and a bespectacled adult with long curly black hair streaked with gray trek through the woods. Both wear shorts and boots; both soon have dirty knees. Over the course of this appealing introduction to the world of fungi, readers encounter 12 very different species of mushrooms (identified in the backmatter) and learn about the mycelium, the network of roots that connect fungi with trees and help to nourish the forest. The gentle narrative concludes with the characters sitting down to have mushrooms for dinner. Baker reminds readers in the afterword that only “knowledgeable adults” should pick mushrooms, “and never more than half of what you find.” Quietly contemplative text and delightful illustrations bring this expedition to life. The visuals convey the child’s sense of wonder and active imagination and even add some fantasy: A big cat reclines upon lion’s mane mushrooms, while winged creatures happily cavort in the fairy ring. The earthy illustrations, rendered in acrylic, gouache, and oil pastel, were inspired by actual photos taken in the woods, and the mushrooms are accurate and identifiable. Informative and engaging, this tale is sure to have kids eagerly taking to the outdoors in search of mushrooms—and more.
Downright delicious. (the facts on fungi, tips for having your own wonderful mushroom day, further information, further resources and reading) (Informational picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: July 16, 2024
ISBN: 9781774882580
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: April 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
Parent-child love and affection, appealingly presented, with the added attraction of the seasonal content and lack of gender...
A polar-bear parent speaks poetically of love for a child.
A genderless adult and cub travel through the landscapes of an arctic year. Each of the softly rendered double-page paintings has a very different feel and color palette as the pair go through the seasons, walking through wintry ice and snow and green summer meadows, cavorting in the blue ocean, watching whales, and playing beside musk oxen. The rhymes of the four-line stanzas are not forced, as is the case too often in picture books of this type: “When cold, winter winds / blow the leaves far and wide, / You’ll cross the great icebergs / with me by your side.” On a dark, snowy night, the loving parent says: “But for now, cuddle close / while the stars softly shine. // I’ll always be yours, / and you’ll always be mine.” As the last illustration shows the pair curled up for sleep, young listeners will be lulled to sweet dreams by the calm tenor of the pictures and the words. While far from original, this timeless theme is always in demand, and the combination of delightful illustrations and poetry that scans well make this a good choice for early-childhood classrooms, public libraries, and one-on-one home read-alouds.
Parent-child love and affection, appealingly presented, with the added attraction of the seasonal content and lack of gender restrictions. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-68010-070-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers.
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
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