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BILLYWISE

Name: BILLYWISE
Author: Judith Nicholls
ISBN: 1-58234-778-6

by Judith Nicholls & illustrated by Jason Cockcroft ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2002

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Fragile and unsure, the new owlet breaks free from his shell only to be confronted with the question of his own identity. Peering out from his nest with large black eyes, Billywise encounters a small moth that asks, “Who are you?” His mother answers the question for him by insisting that with food, nurturing, and time; he will grow to prowl the air with confidence and skill. A squirrel happens by and repeats the moth’s query, but Billywise’s mother assures him that he will grow to be big and strong. Soon other owlets share the nest, making Billywise dream of space and of swooping through the dark night, lit only by the faint glow of moonlight. Encouraged by his mother’s words, Billywise gains the courage that he needs to step to the edge of the nest and leap into the sky. Climbing toward the moon, he finally claims his heritage, wings outstretched in a midnight-blue sky. Cockcroft’s (Daddy’s Lullaby, p. 563, etc.) luminous, full-bleed, speckled paintings on oversized pages highlight the intensity of young Billywise’s eyes and the beauty of the dark forest. Creatures, especially Billywise, are nearly life-sized in several spreads, adding to their allure. Group this with Martin Waddell’s Owl Babies (1992) and Jill Tomlinson’s The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark (2001) for a trio of owl comfort. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2002

ISBN: 1-58234-778-6

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2002

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
THE SUN IN ME
by Judith Nicholls & illustrated by Beth Krommes

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A DOG NAMED SAM

by Janice Boland & illustrated by G. Brian Karas ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1996

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A book that will make young dog-owners smile in recognition and confirm dogless readers' worst suspicions about the mayhem caused by pets, even winsome ones. Sam, who bears passing resemblance to an affable golden retriever, is praised for fetching the family newspaper, and goes on to fetch every other newspaper on the block. In the next story, only the children love Sam's swimming; he is yelled at by lifeguards and fishermen alike when he splashes through every watering hole he can find. Finally, there is woe to the entire family when Sam is bored and lonely for one long night. Boland has an essential message, captured in both both story and illustrations of this Easy-to-Read: Kids and dogs belong together, especially when it's a fun-loving canine like Sam. An appealing tale. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: April 1, 1996

ISBN: 0-8037-1530-7

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Dial Books

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1996

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

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HOME

by Carson Ellis ; illustrated by Carson Ellis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 24, 2015

Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions.

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Ellis, known for her illustrations for Colin Meloy’s Wildwood series, here riffs on the concept of “home.”

Shifting among homes mundane and speculative, contemporary and not, Ellis begins and ends with views of her own home and a peek into her studio. She highlights palaces and mansions, but she also takes readers to animal homes and a certain famously folkloric shoe (whose iconic Old Woman manages a passel of multiethnic kids absorbed in daring games). One spread showcases “some folks” who “live on the road”; a band unloads its tour bus in front of a theater marquee. Ellis’ compelling ink and gouache paintings, in a palette of blue-grays, sepia and brick red, depict scenes ranging from mythical, underwater Atlantis to a distant moonscape. Another spread, depicting a garden and large building under connected, transparent domes, invites readers to wonder: “Who in the world lives here? / And why?” (Earth is seen as a distant blue marble.) Some of Ellis’ chosen depictions, oddly juxtaposed and stripped of any historical or cultural context due to the stylized design and spare text, become stereotypical. “Some homes are boats. / Some homes are wigwams.” A sailing ship’s crew seems poised to land near a trio of men clad in breechcloths—otherwise unidentified and unremarked upon.

Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions. (Picture book. 4-8)