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JACOB'S TREE

Name: JACOB'S TREE
Author: Holly Keller
ISBN: 0-688-15995-8

by Holly Keller ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1999

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PLB 0-688-15996-6 The familiar plight of the smallest is the subject of this picture book from Keller (Brave Horace, 1998, etc.), featuring a baby bear, who is smaller than his mother, father, and siblings. Jacob is frustrated when he can’t reach the cookie jar, see himself in the mirror, or climb to the top of the jungle gym. Papa and Mama tell him he must wait to grow bigger, but Jacob hates waiting. Paint marks on a tree replace the traditional notches in a door frame to mark Jacob’s height. No matter how many vegetables he eats, he doesn’t grow; when the snows come, his mark is buried in a drift. After the snow melts, the reassuring ending finds Jacob grown, not only in stature but in maturity. The apple-cheeked characters are round and cuddly, while the homey, pen-and-watercolor scenes are ever-affable. At their center, the demonstrative Jacob is an everychild, learning to find joy in small measures. (Picture book. 3-5)

Pub Date: March 1, 1999

ISBN: 0-688-15995-8

Page Count: 24

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1999

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

- BOOK REVIEW
MIRANDA’S BEACH DAY
by Holly Keller & illustrated by Holly Keller

- BOOK REVIEW
HELP!
by Holly Keller & illustrated by Holly Keller

- BOOK REVIEW
NOSY ROSIE
by Holly Keller & illustrated by Holly Keller

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CIRCLE SONG

by Diana Engel ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1999

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A brief, rhythmic text combines lullaby with concept book. An African-American baby and parent are shown in the illustrations. “Wrap your arms around me, make a circle, hold me tight. I’ll take you spinning through the air, as daylight turns to night.” The cuddled child is in pajamas, the moon is “like a night-light hanging high,” while the stars and child’s face and features are more examples of the lovingly conveyed main theme. The illustrations, portholes in the center of increasingly darker borders as night descends, show the parent and child with round objects—a goldfish bowl, a round mirror, etc. Engel (The Shelf- Paper Jungle, 1994, etc.) uses watercolors to portray whimsical moonscapes and a starry sky in pleasing and memorable ways. (Picture book. 3-5)

Pub Date: March 1, 1999

ISBN: 0-7614-5040-8

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Marshall Cavendish

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1999

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS

- BOOK REVIEW
THE SHELF-PAPER JUNGLE
by Diana Engel & illustrated by Diana Engel

- BOOK REVIEW
ELEANOR, ARTHUR, AND CLAIRE
by Diana Engel & illustrated by Diana Engel

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HERE COMES SPRING

AND SUMMER AND FALL AND WINTER

by Mary Murphy ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1999

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Readers journey through the seasons with puppies whose behavior resembles that of preschoolers. They dodge falling apple blossoms in spring, have a picnic with friends in summer, pick apples and jump in piles of leaves in fall, and have a snowball fight in winter. Murphy (Caterpillar’s Wish, p. 454, etc.) captures the joy and surprises inherent in the arrival of the seasons, making this book a real heartwarmer. The bright coloring of her illustrations engages readers, as the puppies find a new adventure around every corner; the text is a terrific one to read a loud, subtly conveying with humor some time-honored lessons on ecology, sharing, and cooperation. (Picture book. 3-5)