Readers will love the idea that beautiful childhood memories last a lifetime.
Old toys aren’t discarded: They’re re-loved.
When a dragon meets a boy, they become best friends and have daring adventures; Dragon is Boy’s constant companion. Things change, though: Boy grows, Dragon doesn’t. Then Boy places Dragon in a special cave and asks him to guard his treasures. Eventually, after a final hug, Boy leaves. Years pass. Dragon protects the items diligently, then falls into a deep sleep. One day, hands reach into the cave, removing everything, including Dragon. Surprise: The “thief” is a small girl. Dragon receives a bigger surprise when he sees the man with her. Before the page turn, will readers guess who he is? Guess who becomes the child’s new BFF in this sweet, heartfelt tale about love transcending generations? Readers can infer that Boy, now a dad, shared happy memories of his favorite childhood plaything, and his reminiscences encouraged his daughter to seek Dragon out for her own exciting, affectionate romps. The charming, expressive, sometimes poignant illustrations, occasionally depicting familiar children’s books, present Boy and his blonde daughter as white. As child and adult, Boy has straight brown hair and wears blue glasses; he is freckled in childhood. Purple, smiley Dragon displays two nonthreatening fangs. Boy, girl, and Dragon star on delightful endpapers.
Readers will love the idea that beautiful childhood memories last a lifetime. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: June 30, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-62779-271-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano/Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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