An often wondrous story about a young nature lover that ends too abruptly.
Griffin presents an illustrated children’s book about connecting with nature.
As the story opens, a curious, unnamed little girl wonders, “Why do birds sing in the morning and not at night?” and “How do fish teach their babies to swim?” Her mother and father attempt to answer, but as her queries continue, the adults distract the girl with twirling and tickles until she’s out of breath. One day, the girl happens upon an old man with “millions of wrinkles and very wise eyes” sitting on her favorite park bench. The girl asks him a slew of questions, as well, and he can’t answer all of them; instead, he tells her she must “learn how to ask the wide world.” The youngster tries asking the sky and a tree; when she receives no responses, she decides to rely on her senses to find answers. She watches how the wind moves the clouds, feels tree bark and realizes it’s for the tree’s protection, walks barefoot in the grass, and listens to the birds. As years pass, the girl grows up and becomes a mother, and then a great-grandmother. While sitting on her favorite bench one day, a boy approaches her with many questions of his own; she smiles and tells him to ask the wide world. Griffin effectively depicts the protagonist’s awe of nature, while Echavez’s full-color illustrations convey the main character’s wide range of emotions and add bold color and texture to the outdoor scenery. (The girl and her parents are portrayed with brown skin; other characters are shown with a range of skin tones.) The author’s similes are evocative, as when describing the girl’s inquisitiveness: “It was almost as if someone had turned on a faucet and forgotten to turn it off until the questions overflowed like water in a tub.” Griffin also aptly conveys physical sensations throughout. However, the time-skips and the protagonist’s rapid aging make the conclusion feel rushed. The absence of names may also make it difficult for kids to connect with the various characters.
An often wondrous story about a young nature lover that ends too abruptly.Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781637557457
Page Count: 38
Publisher: Mascot Kids
Review Posted Online: Jan. 17, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A pleasing premise for book lovers.
A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.
When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)
A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780316448222
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
A real gem.
A 10-year old girl learns to adjust to a strange town, makes some fascinating friends, and fills the empty space in her heart thanks to a big old stray dog in this lyrical, moving, and enchanting book by a fresh new voice.
India Opal’s mama left when she was only three, and her father, “the preacher,” is absorbed in his own loss and in the work of his new ministry at the Open-Arms Baptist Church of Naomi [Florida]. Enter Winn-Dixie, a dog who “looked like a big piece of old brown carpet that had been left out in the rain.” But, this dog had a grin “so big that it made him sneeze.” And, as Opal says, “It’s hard not to immediately fall in love with a dog who has a good sense of humor.” Because of Winn-Dixie, Opal meets Miss Franny Block, an elderly lady whose papa built her a library of her own when she was just a little girl and she’s been the librarian ever since. Then, there’s nearly blind Gloria Dump, who hangs the empty bottle wreckage of her past from the mistake tree in her back yard. And, Otis, oh yes, Otis, whose music charms the gerbils, rabbits, snakes and lizards he’s let out of their cages in the pet store. Brush strokes of magical realism elevate this beyond a simple story of friendship to a well-crafted tale of community and fellowship, of sweetness, sorrow and hope. And, it’s funny, too.
A real gem. (Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: March 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-7636-0776-2
Page Count: 182
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2000
SEEN & HEARD
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