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WHEN ARTIE WAS LITTLE

Name: WHEN ARTIE WAS LITTLE
Author: Harriet Berg Schwartz
ISBN: 0-679-83236-X

by Harriet Berg Schwartz & illustrated by Thomas B. Allen ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 30, 1996

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Scenes from a childhood in 1920s Hoboken, wistfully recalled by an elderly man. Carefully blowing the dust off events from the distant past, Schwartz (Backstage With Clawdio, 1993) describes the time Artie found a pony tied to a Christmas tree in his living room; the time he was befriended by the mayor of Hoboken; and the time a barnstormer gave him a ride in his biplane. Each episode ends with a paragraph about how the now-old Artie retells these events to young listeners. The book closes with Artie going over the high points of his childhood. Young readers will find it easy to appreciate Artie's memories—his nostalgia is contagious. The hazy pastel illustrations by Allen form the perfect lens for viewing these long-gone times, and fill the world of Artie's childhood with a dry, diaphanous light. The old photographs of, presumably, the real Artie, reproduced in the endpapers, provide the stories with a factual frame that adds yet another dimension to this wise and lyrical book. (Picture book. 4-9)

Pub Date: June 30, 1996

ISBN: 0-679-83236-X

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Knopf

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1996

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY

- BOOK REVIEW
BACKSTAGE WITH CLAWDIO
by Harriet Berg Schwartz & illustrated by David Catrow

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WHY A DAUGHTER NEEDS A MOM

by Gregory R. Lange ; illustrated by Sydney Hanson ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2019

New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.

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All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.

Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.

New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)

Pub Date: May 1, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

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BECAUSE YOUR DADDY LOVES YOU

by Andrew Clements & illustrated by R.W. Alley ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 23, 2005

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Give this child’s-eye view of a day at the beach with an attentive father high marks for coziness: “When your ball blows across the sand and into the ocean and starts to drift away, your daddy could say, Didn’t I tell you not to play too close to the waves? But he doesn’t. He wades out into the cold water. And he brings your ball back to the beach and plays roll and catch with you.” Alley depicts a moppet and her relaxed-looking dad (to all appearances a single parent) in informally drawn beach and domestic settings: playing together, snuggling up on the sofa and finally hugging each other goodnight. The third-person voice is a bit distancing, but it makes the togetherness less treacly, and Dad’s mix of love and competence is less insulting, to parents and children both, than Douglas Wood’s What Dads Can’t Do (2000), illus by Doug Cushman. (Picture book. 5-7)