“Why worry?” Because the potentially lethal events depicted warrant it.
A pair of friendly insects experiences a series of worrisome events, but each has radically different reactions.
Although Grasshopper thinks it is “a fine day,” her neighbor Cricket has a bad feeling about it. Indeed, as he makes his way over for tea, a crow captures the two friends. Cricket frets, declaring vindication, although Grasshopper persistently assures him that “everything will turn out all right.” She gets them out of the bird’s clutches, but they tumble from one metaphoric pickle into another, relying on luck for the rest of the adventure until they serendipitously return home. Once, Grasshopper shows a sensitive acknowledgement of Cricket’s fears, when she wraps her arms around Cricket while he cries. The rest of the time, she dismisses his concerns and concentrates on the fun she’s having. Cricket’s worries prove monumentally prescient, and Grasshopper’s reassurances come across as uncaring placations. The backmatter essay on “Children and Worry” by two psychotherapists, intended for adult readers, explores why children (of an undefined age) may experience worry and offers a bulleted list of suggestions with sample dialogue. However, the life events they suggest that may provoke worry (conflict, bullying, divorce, bereavement), while grave, don’t have the same stakes as the life-threatening events the story characters face. The soft edges of the pastel-hued illustrations recall fuzzy felt. Their bright cheeriness tempers the scary events of the story and matches the pedantic tone. Large type and a fair amount of negative space make for appealing layouts.
“Why worry?” Because the potentially lethal events depicted warrant it. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: May 7, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5132-6200-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: West Margin Press
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
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
Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children.
Interior decorator and TV personality Gaines invites readers to open their eyes and exercise their imaginations.
There’s a world to be explored out there—and only children can really take part. What does “looking for wonder” entail? Slowing down and looking up, around, and everywhere. At the outset, a group of eager, racially diverse young friends—including one who uses a wheelchair—are fully prepared for a grand adventure. They offer tips about how and where to look: Why, there’s a “grand parade” of marching ants! And, these kids add, perspective is key. A rainy day might signal gloom to some, but to those filled with wonder, showers bring “magic puddles for play”; a forest is “an enchanted world,” the ocean conceals “a spectacular city,” and the night sky boasts “extraordinary sights.” The takeaway: “Wonder is never in short supply.” It’s a robust, empowering message, as is the exhortation to “keep your mind open, and let curiosity guide the way.” Youngsters are also advised to share their discoveries. The upbeat narrative is delivered in clunky verse, but the colorful cartoonish illustrations brimming with activity and good cheer (including some adorable anthropomorphized animals in the backgrounds) make up for the textual lapses and should motivate readers to embark on their own “wonder explorations.”
Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9781400247417
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tommy Nelson
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
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