Fits the bill for readers whose own best buds have been lost to school.
Exuberant Puppy and bored Bear meet one day under the gnarled oak, and from then on, they are the best of friends. But will school put an end to their friendship?
Catch, chase, hide-and-seek, ear-flapping bike rides, plank-walking pirate adventures, and splashes in the creek—this duo does it all over the course of a marvelous summer. But then one morning Bear doesn’t come to the oak to play. When he finally does appear, he’s wearing a backpack and rushing so he won’t be late for the first day of school. Poor Puppy obviously does not understand, watching mournfully as Bear dashes through the gate, sadly following Bear’s play with other animal friends at lunchtime, and missing his friend when he finally is released from school. Puppy tries to play all their favorite games by himself, but it’s just not any fun. Bear finds him that afternoon, sadly curled up under the oak, and the two clear up the misunderstanding and enjoy after-school afternoons filled with best-friend romps. And next fall, it will be Puppy’s turn to go to school. Bendall-Brunello’s Puppy and Bear have marvelously expressive faces, and their play certainly looks like fun in the watercolor-and–colored pencil illustrations. Bear is fully anthropomorphic, wearing clothes and walking on his hind feet, while Puppy is not, which makes for a relationship that might be difficult for readers to decode.
Fits the bill for readers whose own best buds have been lost to school. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: July 18, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5039-5096-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Two Lions
Review Posted Online: May 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2017
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
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
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available.
A ghost learns to appreciate his differences.
The little ghost protagonist of this title is unusual. He’s a quilt, not a lightweight sheet like his parents and friends. He dislikes being different despite his mom’s reassurance that his ancestors also had unconventional appearances. Halloween makes the little ghost happy, though. He decides to watch trick-or-treaters by draping over a porch chair—but lands on a porch rail instead. A mom accompanying her daughter picks him up, wraps him around her chilly daughter, and brings him home with them! The family likes his looks and comforting warmth, and the little ghost immediately feels better about himself. As soon as he’s able to, he flies out through the chimney and muses happily that this adventure happened only due to his being a quilt. This odd but gently told story conveys the importance of self-respect and acceptance of one’s uniqueness. The delivery of this positive message has something of a heavy-handed feel and is rushed besides. It also isn’t entirely logical: The protagonist could have been a different type of covering; a blanket, for instance, might have enjoyed an identical experience. The soft, pleasing illustrations’ palette of tans, grays, white, black, some touches of color, and, occasionally, white text against black backgrounds suggest isolation, such as the ghost feels about himself. Most humans, including the trick-or-treating mom and daughter, have beige skin. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-16.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 66.2% of actual size.)
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7352-6447-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
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