This understated British romp will have readers absorbed in its details.
Dawney and Barrow here offer the tale of a little boy who navigates the streets of 1940s London to visit the possums at the zoo.
A bit reminiscent of Madeline (1939) with its rhyming text, recognizable metropolitan landmarks and purposeful youngster wearing a hat that trails ribbons, this follows Samuel and his “dog-on-wheels” through a bustling cityscape. Urban diversity is captured through varying skin tones, hairstyles and fashion choices. While the poetry scans smoothly, the first half of the book merely describes what the eye can see: “They pass the man who sells balloons, / they pass the band that’s playing tunes.” A pleasing narrative symmetry, however, becomes evident midway through. To the left of the gutter, five baby possums are sleeping, tails wrapped round the branch above; on the right, their eyes open and watch Sam depart. The rest of the story mirrors the beginning, except that the five possums join tail to tail with the toy dog Sam is dragging. While the boy is oblivious to his parade, the passersby, palace guards and street vendors are riveted; the humor derives from the onlookers’ distracted mishaps and the text/image contrast. The balloons play a part in the animals’ return to the zoo, but a surprise awaits the child at home. Cream-colored, matte backgrounds offer a restful backdrop for the tale’s colorful cacophony.
This understated British romp will have readers absorbed in its details. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-84976-221-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Tate/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2014
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
Yes, the Pigeon has to go to school, and so do readers, and this book will surely ease the way.
All the typical worries and excuses kids have about school are filtered through Willems’ hysterical, bus-loving Pigeon.
Told mostly in speech balloons, the bird’s monologue will have kids (and their caregivers) in stitches at Pigeon’s excuses. From already knowing everything (except whatever question readers choose to provide in response to “Go ahead—ask me a question. / Any question!”) to fearing learning too much (“My head might pop off”), Pigeon’s imagination has run wild. Readers familiar with Pigeon will recognize the muted, matte backgrounds that show off the bird’s shenanigans so well. As in previous outings, Willems varies the size of the pigeon on the page to help communicate emotion, the bird teeny small on the double-page spread that illustrates the confession that “I’m… / scared.” And Pigeon’s eight-box rant about all the perils of school (“The unknown stresses me out, dude”) is marvelously followed by the realization (complete with lightbulb thought bubble) that school is the place for students to practice, with experts, all those skills they don’t yet have. But it is the ending that is so Willems, so Pigeon, and so perfect. Pigeon’s last question is “Well, HOW am I supposed to get there, anyway!?!” Readers will readily guess both the answer and Pigeon’s reaction.
Yes, the Pigeon has to go to school, and so do readers, and this book will surely ease the way. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-368-04645-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
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