A symbiotic, child-affirming union of poignant verse and charming illustrations: lovely, indeed.
A beloved collection of 23 poems from the Netherlands receives an English translation.
The poems, unpunctuated and uncapitalized except for the word I, convey the perspective of an often solitary light-skinned, blond-haired child. They tend their large contingent of toys, stuffies, and dolls, indoors and out, while astutely observing nature, their family, and the world around them. Törnqvist’s sensitive illustrations create a world around the child, visually celebrating their determined agency. Ineffability is a recurrent theme, as in “Invisible”: “sighs are invisible / just like the wind / night is invisible / when daytime begins / …but what I make up / is all visible / when I close my eyes.” In “Real” the child squeezes their sleeping mom’s ear “to tell her how I feel / wake up, mom/ I want a mom who’s real.” Törnqvist extends this beautifully telegraphed child’s-eye experience of parental unavailability in the bedroom tableau: The many draped and scattered toys tangle with mom’s castoff bra and clothing, suggesting both maternal exhaustion and a long morning of solitary play. “Freesia” is both ode and antidote to a baby’s bouts of stinkiness: “in a vase beside your bed / change it every hour / even if your diaper’s full / you’ll smell like a flower.” The child hoists the flower, leading a parade of marching toys, everyone’s noses securely pinched. Other poems investigate animal tracks, grandparents, stars, clouds, dreams, new shoes, and more. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A symbiotic, child-affirming union of poignant verse and charming illustrations: lovely, indeed. (Picture book/poetry. 3-8)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-64614-128-9
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Levine Querido
Review Posted Online: April 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2022
This bunny escapes all the traps but fails to find a logical plot or an emotional connection with readers.
The bestselling series (How to Catch an Elf, 2016, etc.) about capturing mythical creatures continues with a story about various ways to catch the Easter Bunny as it makes its annual deliveries.
The bunny narrates its own story in rhyming text, beginning with an introduction at its office in a manufacturing facility that creates Easter eggs and candy. The rabbit then abruptly takes off on its delivery route with a tiny basket of eggs strapped to its back, immediately encountering a trap with carrots and a box propped up with a stick. The narrative focuses on how the Easter Bunny avoids increasingly complex traps set up to catch him with no explanation as to who has set the traps or why. These traps include an underground tunnel, a fluorescent dance floor with a hidden pit of carrots, a robot bunny, pirates on an island, and a cannon that shoots candy fish, as well as some sort of locked, hazardous site with radiation danger. Readers of previous books in the series will understand the premise, but others will be confused by the rabbit’s frenetic escapades. Cartoon-style illustrations have a 1960s vibe, with a slightly scary, bow-tied bunny with chartreuse eyes and a glowing palette of neon shades that shout for attention.
This bunny escapes all the traps but fails to find a logical plot or an emotional connection with readers. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-3817-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
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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
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