Shy, bespectacled Alfred doesn’t fit in with other kids; perhaps because of this, he falls in love with books at an early age and determines to collect them all. Finally, Alfred manages to round up the last book in town and, unsure of what to do, settles into his home to read each and every volume. Meanwhile, without books, life becomes dull for the other inhabitants of the town. When the very well-read and much older Alfred emerges, he brings books for the people as well as a lesson about sharing them. Pamintuan’s bright, shiny, sharp-edged illustrations portray the young boy amid towering stacks and the rolling landscape of his small town as he and his collection grow, while tight, crisp rhymes trace his journey. If the story is both a tad predictable and a bit confusing (why did Alfred collect books if he didn’t intend to read them?), the colorful pictures will draw children in, and the sprightly text will hold their attention. While its ultimate message may be worthy, however, this parable may be a little too opaque for child readers. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: May 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-06-000581-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 17, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2010
Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind.
The cool beans again step up to do a timorous fellow legume a fava…this time at the pool.
Will a rash decision to tackle the multistory super-slide lead to another embarrassing watery fail for our shy protagonist? Nope, for up the stairs right behind comes a trio of cool beans, each a different type and color, all clad in nothing but dark shades. They make an offer: “It’s not as scary if you go with friends!” As the knobby nerd explains once the thrilling ride down is done, “They all realized that I just needed some encouragement and support.” Just to make sure that both cool and uncool readers get the message, the narrator lets us know that “there are plenty of kind folks who have my back. They’re always there when I need them.” The beany bonhomie doesn’t end at the bottom of the slide, with all gliding down to the shallow end of the pool (“3 INCHES. NO DIVING”) for a splashy finale. This latest early reader starring characters from John and Oswald’s immensely popular Food Group series will be a hit with fans. Fun accessories, such as a bean who rocks pink cat-eye frames, add some pizzazz to the chromatically and somatotypically varied cast.
Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind. (Easy reader. 5-7)Pub Date: March 26, 2024
ISBN: 9780063329560
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Give this child’s-eye view of a day at the beach with an attentive father high marks for coziness: “When your ball blows across the sand and into the ocean and starts to drift away, your daddy could say, Didn’t I tell you not to play too close to the waves? But he doesn’t. He wades out into the cold water. And he brings your ball back to the beach and plays roll and catch with you.” Alley depicts a moppet and her relaxed-looking dad (to all appearances a single parent) in informally drawn beach and domestic settings: playing together, snuggling up on the sofa and finally hugging each other goodnight. The third-person voice is a bit distancing, but it makes the togetherness less treacly, and Dad’s mix of love and competence is less insulting, to parents and children both, than Douglas Wood’s What Dads Can’t Do (2000), illus by Doug Cushman. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: May 23, 2005
ISBN: 0-618-00361-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2005
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