Rich images and a lovable dog make up for the slightly cloying message in this promising debut.
A dog and his man find redemption in this old-time cinema-style picture book.
The Duke, a spindly, menacing white man in a dapper suit and bowler, is known around town for his dastardly deeds. Tricky, his loyal accomplice, applies his canine wiles in tripping people, menacing children, and pilfering baked goods. But the way to this dog’s moral compass is through his stomach, and when the new baker, Ms. Paisley, offers him a treat, he overcomes his suspicion of this kindness—“and for the first time, Tricky realized that what they were doing was WRONG.” Tricky takes his change of heart out on his owner, wreaking havoc on the house until he’s caught, kicked out, and rehomed with brown-skinned Ms. Paisley. This loss spurs the Duke toward his own rehabilitation; readers learn that “if old dogs can learn new tricks, perhaps the Duke could too.” There’s not much complexity in either arc, since every character is broadly drawn as good, bad, or formerly bad, and the text can be a bit heavy-handed, perhaps gearing it for younger children. The animated illustrations are especially deft at showing small shifts in body language, making even the nasty Duke somewhat endearing.
Rich images and a lovable dog make up for the slightly cloying message in this promising debut. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-77147-252-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Owlkids Books
Review Posted Online: June 26, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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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