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THE BIG SLIDE

Name: THE BIG SLIDE
Author: Daniel Kirk
ISBN: 978-0-399-16938-0

by Daniel Kirk ; illustrated by Daniel Kirk ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 12, 2022

Little readers will find a ready role model here for tackling their own fears.

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Little Pup screws his courage to the sticking place at the playground.

All spring and summer and into the fall, Little Pup and his mom visit the playground. Each time, he gazes longingly at the big slide, which he’s not brave enough to attempt. His supportive mother never pressures him, leaving the timing to him. Twice he tries the slide, once escaping the line at the bottom, the second time making it to the top only to climb back down again, the other anthropomorphized animals clearing the ladder for him. Mom helpfully suggests using the concrete stair edge of their apartment building as a slide—she’ll hold his hand. This is fun, and he can even do it without her support. In his room, he makes a big slide for his toys, telling them to “be brave.” And after school starts in the fall and Little Pup meets Little Duck, a new school friend, on the playground, he decides that perhaps with Little Duck by his side he can tackle the big slide after all. And so he does, his joy and pride infectious. Kirk’s many animal characters are highly expressive in both facial expression and body language, especially Little Pup’s eyebrows, and Little Duck is a model of empathy for young readers. The rather muted palette keeps the focus on the characters. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Little readers will find a ready role model here for tackling their own fears. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: July 12, 2022

ISBN: 978-0-399-16938-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books

Review Posted Online: April 12, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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NEWTON AND CURIE TAKE FLIGHT!
by Daniel Kirk ; illustrated by Daniel Kirk

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NEWTON AND CURIE
by Daniel Kirk ; illustrated by Daniel Kirk

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A PRAYER FOR THE ANIMALS
by Daniel Kirk ; illustrated by Daniel Kirk

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CARPENTER'S HELPER

by Sybil Rosen ; illustrated by Camille Garoche ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 16, 2021

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.

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A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.

Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: March 16, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random

Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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THE COOL BEAN MAKES A SPLASH

From the I Can Read! series

by Jory John ; illustrated by Pete Oswald ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 26, 2024

Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind.

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The cool beans again step up to do a timorous fellow legume a fava…this time at the pool.

Will a rash decision to tackle the multistory super-slide lead to another embarrassing watery fail for our shy protagonist? Nope, for up the stairs right behind comes a trio of cool beans, each a different type and color, all clad in nothing but dark shades. They make an offer: “It’s not as scary if you go with friends!” As the knobby nerd explains once the thrilling ride down is done, “They all realized that I just needed some encouragement and support.” Just to make sure that both cool and uncool readers get the message, the narrator lets us know that “there are plenty of kind folks who have my back. They’re always there when I need them.” The beany bonhomie doesn’t end at the bottom of the slide, with all gliding down to the shallow end of the pool (“3 INCHES. NO DIVING”) for a splashy finale. This latest early reader starring characters from John and Oswald’s immensely popular Food Group series will be a hit with fans. Fun accessories, such as a bean who rocks pink cat-eye frames, add some pizzazz to the chromatically and somatotypically varied cast.

Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind. (Easy reader. 5-7)