The idea of a country goose being buffeted about on the streets of London is probably as old as Freeman's "Mettle Olde England" setting, and the language of the young actor-playwright that Willoughby Waddle meets in the lane is downright hokey. "Forsooth, it does seem life is full of woe, e'en for a lowly goose," says the stranger as he brushes garbage from Willoughby's wings. The grateful goose follows his rescuer, causing hilarity by nipping his on-stage duel. opponent in the breeches, and later hears the young man (called Will) answer his companions' plea with "poetic lines": "I can but try. This very night I intend to finish the play I have been working on for lo, these many moons." Thus Willoughby gets his chance to return Will's kindness, for when the playwright that night throws feathers from his window, grumbling "Curse these quills! How can I write with such wretched pens?" the goose donates some of his own long, strong ones and becomes the writer's boon companion. Freeman bathes the encounter in a soft, affectionate glow that invites participation—but if this sentimental dolt can be proved to be William Shakespeare, Bacon's stock is sure to rise.
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1975
ISBN: 0670036862
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: April 25, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1975
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
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
A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character.
One of Boynton's signature characters celebrates Halloween.
It's Halloween time, and Pookie the pig is delighted. Mom helps the little porker pick out the perfect Halloween costume, a process that spans the entire board book. Using an abcb rhyme scheme, Boynton dresses Pookie in a series of cheerful costumes, including a dragon, a bunny, and even a caped superhero. Pookie eventually settles on the holiday classic, a ghost, by way of a bedsheet. Boynton sprinkles in amusing asides to her stanzas as Pookie offers costume commentary ("It's itchy"; "It's hot"; "I feel silly"). Little readers will enjoy the notion of transforming themselves with their own Halloween costumes while reading this book, and a few parents may get some ideas as well. Boynton's clean, sharp illustrations are as good as ever. This is Pookie's first holiday title, but readers will surely welcome more.
A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: July 7, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-553-51233-5
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Robin Corey/Random
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
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