A satisfying story that just might spark ideas among explorers of all ages.
Nothing like an unusual game to transform a boring day into a fun one!
An Asian-presenting child with light skin and straight dark hair is bored. “There’s no one to play with…and nothing to do,” the child exclaims, lying upside down on the couch with crossed arms, surrounded by art supplies, toys, and more. A magpie taps at the window and catches the child’s attention, beginning an unusual series of interactions that lead to a naming game. At the jaunty behest of the magpie, the child names him the Diamond Dodger; a nearby tree is named the Emerald Queen, and a crimson butterfly earns the appellation Ruby King. The game continues outdoors as the child explores the neighborhood with a grown-up and says, “Everything, everyone, needs its own name!” Laird’s lively, bouncy text conveys the child’s newfound enthusiasm for a game that lets them think of clever names and pairs well with Holden’s vibrant and varied palette. Each spread contains details big and small that will encourage young readers to think up their own names. The endpapers even display a patchwork of flora and fauna that can be found in the spreads that follow. The perspective shifts are noticeable and dramatic, ranging from distant landscape scenes to big close-ups of the child’s face. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A satisfying story that just might spark ideas among explorers of all ages. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 28, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-910328-88-0
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Tiny Owl
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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
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