Children will say, “Yes!” to this delightful charmer.
The maxim that cats and dogs get along like…well, cats and dogs, is upended.
The unseen guardian of a cat and dog awakens the pets cheerfully, asks how they slept, offers breakfast, invites them to clean up and play together, then suggests they frolic outside. To every comment, the canine responds affirmatively; the feline—quite the opposite. For example, does it want food? Answer: “I already ate.” Will it help clean? The haughty response: “Never.” Backyard merriment doesn’t go well, as the dog attacks the clothesline and digs holes, and the cat climbs a tree. Finally commanded to play together farther from home, the duo are depicted wordlessly marveling at nature in engaging, colorful panoramic spreads. Eventually, they have a grand time—and the tables get turned. When the owner finally summons the pair home, the cat willingly complies. However, the pooch, now the naysaying contrarian, only reluctantly accedes to its human’s ideas, expressing sorrow the great day is over. A calming, reassuring reminder to the dog at the conclusion sets things right, and, in a comic twist, the animals’ customary natures are restored. This sweet, gentle story reminds youngsters that yes and no have their proper places and times and that all good things don’t necessarily end. The deceptively simply drawn, definitively lined ink-and-watercolor illustrations with their limited palette capture the animals’ lively personalities well; ample white space focuses attention on their activities. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at 85.9% of actual size.)
Children will say, “Yes!” to this delightful charmer. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 13, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-25733-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it.
A succession of animal dads do their best to teach their young to say “Dada” in this picture-book vehicle for Fallon.
A grumpy bull says, “DADA!”; his calf moos back. A sad-looking ram insists, “DADA!”; his lamb baas back. A duck, a bee, a dog, a rabbit, a cat, a mouse, a donkey, a pig, a frog, a rooster, and a horse all fail similarly, spread by spread. A final two-spread sequence finds all of the animals arrayed across the pages, dads on the verso and children on the recto. All the text prior to this point has been either iterations of “Dada” or animal sounds in dialogue bubbles; here, narrative text states, “Now everybody get in line, let’s say it together one more time….” Upon the turn of the page, the animal dads gaze round-eyed as their young across the gutter all cry, “DADA!” (except the duckling, who says, “quack”). Ordóñez's illustrations have a bland, digital look, compositions hardly varying with the characters, although the pastel-colored backgrounds change. The punch line fails from a design standpoint, as the sudden, single-bubble chorus of “DADA” appears to be emanating from background features rather than the baby animals’ mouths (only some of which, on close inspection, appear to be open). It also fails to be funny.
Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 9, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-250-00934-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.
Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
