Despite visual hiccups, this much-needed tale of cooperation and inclusivity will be welcomed by readers of all ages.
In the big oak tree, life couldn’t be better—there are squirrels everywhere. But with summer comes discord.
Who invited the noisy blue jays? And why are there so many chipmunks? Hey, where did those beavers come from? Pa and Ma are not amused. Archie Bunker–like proclamations issue forth from disgruntled Pa. “Blue jays don’t belong here!” Pa grumps. And: “Beavers are the worst neighbors of all!” When they pack up and move across the river, Ma tells her son, “Look, Zeke! There are lots of squirrels here, just like you.” But Zeke misses his friends. On his way to visit them, a sudden storm wreaks havoc. He is stranded on a branch, dangling over the river, when his family’s maple tree comes crashing down. The former neighbors come to the rescue and return the squirrel family to the oak tree, where they all truly belong—together. Cocca-Leffler’s message-driven story is easily accessible, with concise, clear sentences, and Lombardi’s bright, humorous, and inviting illustrations of the forest setting are eye-catching. However, there’s a jarring disconnect between the anthropomorphized squirrels and beavers and the realistically rendered chipmunks. Also, one sequence of spreads, in which the squirrels move from the left bank to the right but Zeke’s old friends wave at him from the right bank, is visually confusing. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Despite visual hiccups, this much-needed tale of cooperation and inclusivity will be welcomed by readers of all ages. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-30513-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano/Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: June 2, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2020
Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children.
Interior decorator and TV personality Gaines invites readers to open their eyes and exercise their imaginations.
There’s a world to be explored out there—and only children can really take part. What does “looking for wonder” entail? Slowing down and looking up, around, and everywhere. At the outset, a group of eager, racially diverse young friends—including one who uses a wheelchair—are fully prepared for a grand adventure. They offer tips about how and where to look: Why, there’s a “grand parade” of marching ants! And, these kids add, perspective is key. A rainy day might signal gloom to some, but to those filled with wonder, showers bring “magic puddles for play”; a forest is “an enchanted world,” the ocean conceals “a spectacular city,” and the night sky boasts “extraordinary sights.” The takeaway: “Wonder is never in short supply.” It’s a robust, empowering message, as is the exhortation to “keep your mind open, and let curiosity guide the way.” Youngsters are also advised to share their discoveries. The upbeat narrative is delivered in clunky verse, but the colorful cartoonish illustrations brimming with activity and good cheer (including some adorable anthropomorphized animals in the backgrounds) make up for the textual lapses and should motivate readers to embark on their own “wonder explorations.”
Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9781400247417
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tommy Nelson
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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