THERE WAS AN OLD WOMAN WHO LIVED IN A BOOK

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THERE WAS AN OLD WOMAN WHO LIVED IN A BOOK

Name: THERE WAS AN OLD WOMAN WHO LIVED IN A BOOK
Author: Jomike Tejido
ISBN: 978-0-316-49305-5

by Jomike Tejido ; illustrated by Jomike Tejido ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2019

A fun-filled fractured-fairy-tale frolic.

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Fairy-tale and nursery-rhyme characters work together to solve a mystery of disappearing belongings and missing children.

The story’s clever concept references that famous Old Woman who lived in a shoe, but here the woman lives in a book-shaped house on a bookshelf along with many other well-known children’s-story characters such as Jack and Jill and the Three Bears. The Old Woman is actually a busy mother of six with springy, gray hair and a lively demeanor. When she discovers her children are missing, she visits the other book houses on the shelf to ask for help. Each of the characters is missing something, and they all follow along as a group to search for their items and the children. The Big Bad Wolf is the culprit, predictably, and the children are found hiding from him in the branches of surrounding trees along with their father, the Old Man of “knick-knack paddywhack” fame. The characters celebrate at a concluding party with treats provided by the Wicked Witch from her candy-covered cottage. Bright, cartoon-style illustrations are filled with amusing details from all the nursery-rhyme and fairy-tale settings. Though the buoyant illustrations and plot move along in a sprightly fashion, however, the dialogue (conveyed in speech bubbles) is rather pedestrian. The Old Woman and her children present white; some of the other human characters seem to be diverse.

A fun-filled fractured-fairy-tale frolic. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019

ISBN: 978-0-316-49305-5

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Jimmy Patterson/Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019

Categories:

CHILDREN'S POETRY

- BOOK REVIEW
WILL YOU BE THE "I" IN KIND?
by Julia Cook ; illustrated by Jomike Tejido

- BOOK REVIEW
THE GREAT UNICORN RACE
by Whitney Sanderson ; illustrated by Jomike Tejido

- BOOK REVIEW
HEARTSONG'S MISSING FOAL
by Whitney Sanderson ; illustrated by Jomike Tejido

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DIGGER, DOZER, DUMPER

by Hope Vestergaard ; illustrated by David Slonim ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 27, 2013

While there are many rhyming truck books out there, this stands out for being a collection of poems.

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Rhyming poems introduce children to anthropomorphized trucks of all sorts, as well as the jobs that they do.

Adorable multiethnic children are the drivers of these 16 trucks—from construction equipment to city trucks, rescue vehicles and a semi—easily standing in for readers, a point made very clear on the final spread. Varying rhyme schemes and poem lengths help keep readers’ attention. For the most part, the rhymes and rhythms work, as in this, from “Cement Mixer”: “No time to wait; / he can’t sit still. / He has to beg your pardon. / For if he dawdles on the way, / his slushy load will harden.” Slonim’s trucks each sport an expressive pair of eyes, but the anthropomorphism stops there, at least in the pictures—Vestergaard sometimes takes it too far, as in “Bulldozer”: “He’s not a bully, either, / although he’s big and tough. / He waits his turn, plays well with friends, / and pushes just enough.” A few trucks’ jobs get short shrift, to mixed effect: “Skid-Steer Loader” focuses on how this truck moves without the typical steering wheel, but “Semi” runs with a royalty analogy and fails to truly impart any knowledge. The acrylic-and-charcoal artwork, set against white backgrounds, keeps the focus on the trucks and the jobs they are doing.

While there are many rhyming truck books out there, this stands out for being a collection of poems. (Picture book/poetry. 3-6)

Pub Date: Aug. 27, 2013

ISBN: 978-0-7636-5078-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: May 28, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2013

Categories:

CHILDREN'S POETRY | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
POTTY ANIMALS
by Hope Vestergaard and illustrated by Valeria Petrone

- BOOK REVIEW
I DON’T WANT TO CLEAN MY ROOM
by Hope Vestergaard & illustrated by Carol Koeller

- BOOK REVIEW
WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN A MONSTER SAYS BOO?
by Hope Vestergaard & illustrated by Maggie Smith

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AMOR IS TO LOVE YOU

From the Canticos series

by Susie Jaramillo ; illustrated by Susie Jaramillo ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 8, 2022

A testament to the universality of love.

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An expanded explanation of love in both English and Spanish.

Several animal personalities pose the question, “What is love?” and in a series of lift-the-flap responses present various emotional scenarios. Little Elephant asks Spider, “Is it the joy of having you around?” Spider asks, “Is it the way you lift me when I’m down?” Each page corresponds to a flap that reveals one of a multitude of feelings love can evoke in either an English or Spanish rhyme, which are not direct translations of each other. An interspersed refrain notes, “Amor for the Spanish, / and love en inglés. / Love in any language / always means the same.” A palette of pastels and purple and pink hues dominate as hearts abound on each page, surrounding the characters, who are adorable though on the overly sweet side. The characters are from the bilingual preschool series Canticos, though it will work even among those without knowledge of the show. Children more fluent in Spanish will be better able to appreciate this, and those familiar with the show will recognize the signature characters, including “Los Pollitos” (Little Chickies). (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A testament to the universality of love. (Board book. 3-6)