The target audience will appreciate this tale of getting by with a little help from one’s friends.
Help comes in unexpected ways as a lone baby turtle battles a storm-tossed river.
Heron, Frog, and Otter all know the signs: “The reeds rustled. / The waves crashed. / The lightning flashed. / The thunder clapped, / and the rain pelted down, down, down.” Turtle-Turtle, however, is too young to understand what’s happening. So while the others run for cover, he cowers under his shell on their small island. After a climactic double-page spread in which the little reptile is tossed this way and that in the water, he learns that he can hold his breath underwater and keep his eyes open—qualities he didn’t know he had. With the support of the other animals, Turtle-Turtle reaches land once again. The authors’ use of alliteration, onomatopoeia, and internal and end-of-line rhymes makes this story flow effortlessly and dramatically when read aloud. These elements, as well as the repetition of words and a refrain, will encourage even the youngest listeners to participate. Will Hillenbrand’s digital scenes employ diagonal lines, signs of motion, and a darker palette to signal the danger, whereas the aftermath depicts a return to calm and a gradual brightening, leading to a rainbow. The book’s dedication suggests that the inexperience and resilience of children during the pandemic—and the support of helpers—were inspirations.
The target audience will appreciate this tale of getting by with a little help from one’s friends. (author’s note from Will Hillenbrand) (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: March 12, 2024
ISBN: 9780823453979
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
Parents of toddlers starting school or day care should seek separation-anxiety remedies elsewhere, and fans of the original...
A sweetened, condensed version of the best-selling picture book, The Kissing Hand.
As in the original, Chester Raccoon is nervous about attending Owl’s night school (raccoons are nocturnal). His mom kisses him on the paw and reminds him, “With a Kissing Hand… / We’ll never be apart.” The text boils the story down to its key elements, causing this version to feel rushed. Gone is the list of fun things Chester will get to do at school. Fans of the original may be disappointed that this board edition uses a different illustrator. Gibson’s work is equally sentimental, but her renderings are stiff and flat in comparison to the watercolors of Harper and Leak. Very young readers will probably not understand that Owl’s tree, filled with opossums, a squirrel, a chipmunk and others, is supposed to be a school.
Parents of toddlers starting school or day care should seek separation-anxiety remedies elsewhere, and fans of the original shouldn’t look to this version as replacement for their page-worn copies. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-933718-77-4
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Tanglewood Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance.
A boy with wings learns to be himself and inspires others like him to soar, too.
Norman, a “perfectly normal” boy, never dreamed he might grow wings. Afraid of what his parents might say, he hides his new wings under a big, stuffy coat. Although the coat hides his wings from the world, Norman no longer finds joy in bathtime, playing at the park, swimming, or birthday parties. With the gentle encouragement of his parents, who see his sadness, Norman finds the courage to come out of hiding and soar. Percival (The Magic Looking Glass, 2017, etc.) depicts Norman with light skin and dark hair. Black-and-white illustrations show his father with dark skin and hair and his mother as white. The contrast of black-and-white illustrations with splashes of bright color complements the story’s theme. While Norman tries to be “normal,” the world and people around him look black and gray, but his coat stands out in yellow. Birds pop from the page in pink, green, and blue, emphasizing the joy and beauty of flying free. The final spread, full of bright color and multiracial children in flight, sets the mood for Norman’s realization on the last page that there is “no such thing as perfectly normal,” but he can be “perfectly Norman.”
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68119-785-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
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