It is worth noting that this title is printed and bound in the United States and that its paper is labeled “from responsible...
The idea of “cozy”—hyggelig in Danish and Gemütlichkeit in German but not so nuanced in English—is what drives this deliciously illustrated, rhymed seasonal tale.
The pictures are a riot of color and pattern. Readers move through the seasons, starting with autumn, with items one might not think of as cozy but that definitely are: “Cozy toes in fuzzy boots, cozy pits in purple fruits.” Several families of varying ethnicities populate these pages, and their activities display coziness: mom playing the banjo; dad at a sewing machine; everyone collecting a pumpkin in the rain. Braided loaves of bread, popcorn popping and Grandma tickling the belly of a pajama-clad toddler are all cozy. So are bugs in their flowers and keys in their pockets. Sometimes the rhyme doesn’t quite catch, and sometimes it stretches beyond, but the images of “[c]ozy matzo balls in soup” or a scoop of ice cream cozy in its cone are pretty cute. Winter opens with three children on a quilted, padded window seat, watching the snow fall, while a parent in the kitchen flips hot cakes. The children’s pajamas, the hall rug, snow falling on the rainbow-colored cityscape—all make a kaleidoscope of pattern that one can return to again and again. Every page is like that.
It is worth noting that this title is printed and bound in the United States and that its paper is labeled “from responsible sources.” That would not help a less effective tale, but it truly enhances this 32-page delight. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-939547-02-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Creston
Review Posted Online: June 11, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Unusual illustrations enhance an engaging, informative narrative.
What can a worm do?
A little worm sets off on a “twirl” to “see the world.” But when it overhears a human referring to it as “just a worm,” its feelings are hurt. The worm asks other critters—including a caterpillar, a spider, a dragonfly—what they can do. After each answer (turn into a butterfly, spin silk thread, fly), the worm becomes more and more dejected because it can’t do any of these things. “Maybe I am just a worm.” But then the worm encounters a ladybug, who eats aphids and other insects, and the worm realizes that it eats dead plants and animals and keeps gardens clean. And though the worm can’t pollinate like the bee, it does create castings (poop) that help plants grow and stay healthy. These abilities, the worm realizes in triumph, are important! The cleverness of this story lies in its lighthearted, effective dissemination of information about various insects as well as earthworms. It doesn’t hurt that the expressive little worm is downright adorable, with emotions that will resonate with anyone who has felt unimportant. The stunning illustrations are done in quilled paper—a centuries-old technique that involves assembling strips of colored paper into shapes—which adds sparkle and originality. A tutorial of how to make a quilled butterfly and a page on earthworm facts round out the book. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Unusual illustrations enhance an engaging, informative narrative. (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 14, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-06-321256-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
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