This adventure offers an effective brain exercise in graphic storytelling for young readers—but some may wish for more...
A bespectacled rabbit gets over his fear of bears and finds a new friend in this picture book.
Rabbit is afraid of a lot of things but his worst nightmare of all is bears. When Rabbit gets caught in a snare, he’s terrified that the bear coming to his rescue is actually going to eat him. Bear’s sharp claws make short work of the snare, and his long, pointy teeth scare off a fox, but Rabbit is still suspicious. It isn’t until Bear reveals his own phobia—spiders—that Rabbit realizes his new pal isn’t scary after all. Young readers may be familiar with the theme of appearances being deceiving and frightening-looking creatures turning out to be benevolent. But Lukidis’ (A Real Live Pet!, 2018, etc.) clever framework that allows Rabbit a moment to be a hero, despite his trepidation, is a nice touch. The story, which features an all-male cast, is told in approachable vocabulary. The tale sometimes relies on the cartoonish illustrations to relay the action, including when Rabbit enters Bear’s den to eat carrot stew. But the narrative never fully explains what causes Rabbit to suddenly scream at Bear: “You brought me here to cook me in your stew!” Hannon’s (I Love to Watch You Play, 2019, etc.) images, with full backgrounds, provide enough hints to make filling in the gaps possible.
This adventure offers an effective brain exercise in graphic storytelling for young readers—but some may wish for more details.Pub Date: July 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-9814938-9-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Blue Whale Press LLC
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A nice but not requisite purchase.
A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.
Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.
A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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