Fox offers a wry look at the often-tumultuous life of a toddler and her harried mother. Harriet is a typical young child: spilled juice, sticky jam, and broken crockery follow in her wake over the course of an ordinary day. Her mom tries very hard not to yell or get upset; after all, Harriet is always genuinely sorry. Yet, when Harriet’s pillow bursts during “quiet” time, so does her mother’s temper. In the aftermath of the outburst, mother and daughter apologize and the tale ends on an upbeat note as the two recognize the silliness of their situation and, feather-bedecked, clean up the room. Fox’s brief sentences capture the essence of everyday childhood catastrophes, e.g., “At lunch, Harriet slid off her chair and the tablecloth came with her, just like that.” Young children can appreciate Harriet’s predicament as she unintentionally wreaks havoc everywhere she goes. Fox’s sympathetic tale reassures readers that mistakes and angry outbursts do not alter the loving relationship between parent and child. Frazee’s lively illustrations sparkle as each of Harriet’s little episodes is depicted in humorous detail. Clearly drawn and colorful, they are a witty counterpart to the story. The story, insightful and with ample doses of gentle humor, should prove a soothing balm for exasperated moms and their busy little bees. (Picture book. 3-7)
Pub Date: April 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-15-201977-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2000
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
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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