THE TENTH GOOD THING ABOUT BARNEY

Name: THE TENTH GOOD THING ABOUT BARNEY
Author: Judith Viorst
ISBN: 978-0-689-71203-6

by Judith Viorst ; illustrated by Erik Blegvad ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 10, 1971

The theme is handled with judgment and sensitivity at just the right level, and the subdued black-and-white drawings,...

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For many children, the first encounter with death occurs with the loss of a pet; for such an occasion Mrs. Viorst offers honest consolation that emphasizes the cyclical continuity of life and applies as well to human death.

A little boy's cat dies and the child is "very sad." His mother suggests that he think of ten good things about the pet to tell at the funeral when father buries him next day, but the boy can only think of nine. After the funeral, the boy and his sister argue about whether Barney is in heaven or in the ground. Father says, "We don't know too much about heaven. We can't be absolutely sure that it's there." Then father plants some seeds and talks about how "things change in the ground," and at bedtime the boy announces to his mother the tenth good thing:"Barney is in the ground and he's helping to make flowers."

The theme is handled with judgment and sensitivity at just the right level, and the subdued black-and-white drawings, affectionate but unsentimental, are perfectly attuned. (Picture book. 3-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 10, 1971

ISBN: 978-0-689-71203-6

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Atheneum

Review Posted Online: Jan. 13, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1971

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

- BOOK REVIEW
LULU IS GETTING A SISTER
by Judith Viorst ; illustrated by Kevin Cornell

- BOOK REVIEW
WHAT ARE YOU GLAD ABOUT? WHAT ARE YOU MAD ABOUT?
by Judith Viorst ; illustrated by Lee White

- BOOK REVIEW
ALEXANDER, WHO'S TRYING HIS BEST TO BE THE BEST BOY EVER
by Judith Viorst ; illustrated by Isidre Monés

- PERSPECTIVES
Losing a Pet: It’s a Big Deal

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CARPENTER'S HELPER

by Sybil Rosen ; illustrated by Camille Garoche ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 16, 2021

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.

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A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.

Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: March 16, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random

Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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THE LEAF THIEF

by Alice Hemming ; illustrated by Nicola Slater ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 2021

A hilarious autumnal comedy of errors.

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A confused squirrel overreacts to the falling autumn leaves.

Relaxing on a tree branch, Squirrel admires the red, gold, and orange leaves. Suddenly Squirrel screams, “One of my leaves is…MISSING!” Searching for the leaf, Squirrel tells Bird, “Someone stole my leaf!” Spying Mouse sailing in a leaf boat, Squirrel asks if Mouse stole the leaf. Mouse calmly replies in the negative. Bird reminds Squirrel it’s “perfectly normal to lose a leaf or two at this time of year.” Next morning Squirrel panics again, shrieking, “MORE LEAVES HAVE BEEN STOLEN!” Noticing Woodpecker arranging colorful leaves, Squirrel queries, “Are those my leaves?” Woodpecker tells Squirrel, “No.” Again, Bird assures Squirrel that no one’s taking the leaves and that the same thing happened last year, then encourages Squirrel to relax. Too wired to relax despite some yoga and a bath, the next day Squirrel cries “DISASTER” at the sight of bare branches. Frantic now, Squirrel becomes suspicious upon discovering Bird decorating with multicolored leaves. Is Bird the culprit? In response, Bird shows Squirrel the real Leaf Thief: the wind. Squirrel’s wildly dramatic, misguided, and hyperpossessive reaction to a routine seasonal event becomes a rib-tickling farce through clever use of varying type sizes and weights emphasizing his absurd verbal pronouncements as well as exaggerated, comic facial expressions and body language. Bold colors, arresting perspectives, and intense close-ups enhance Squirrel’s histrionics. Endnotes explain the science behind the phenomenon.

A hilarious autumnal comedy of errors. (Picture book. 4-7)