Loosely based on a Talmudic story, Snyder’s tale is a tender tribute to the sustainability of good gardens—and...
Laurel and her next-door neighbor Honey, an older woman, cultivate a friendship grounded in Honey’s lovingly tended garden.
Narrating from her child’s eye, Laurel, who is white, observes Honey (with light brown skin and harlequin glasses) thinning lettuce, pulling beets, and singing to the kale. “She says it sings back, but I can’t hear it. / Not even when I listen close.” Honey dines with Laurel and her mom each Friday, bringing bouquets of “squash blossoms, rosemary, raspberries on a prickle branch. / Nothing matches, but everything fits.” One day, a “for sale” sign appears next door: Honey must move to care for her sick mother. Sensitively, Honey helps Laurel understand that the garden will continue on after she leaves. Her new strawberry plants will fruit for another family, just as she’s enjoyed the grapes planted by an earlier gardener. She helps Laurel plant a young apple tree. When a new family with four young children moves into Honey’s house, Laurel helps them in the garden—and sings to the kale. Cotterill’s digitally colored pen-and-ink compositions enthusiastically depict Honey’s flourishing veggies and natty garden attire. Visuals gently extend the story: Laurel inherits Honey’s yellow straw hat and writes her an “I miss you” letter.
Loosely based on a Talmudic story, Snyder’s tale is a tender tribute to the sustainability of good gardens—and intergenerational friendships. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: May 2, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-553-51273-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Feb. 19, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 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
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
