A sweet meditation on the value of creating, regardless of use.
Llama and Beaver both enjoy making things, but for different reasons.
One day, Llama decides she wants to make something but isn’t sure what. Nevertheless, she starts knitting. Friends visit, and each decides to start on a project, too. One paints, and others embroider, bead, weave baskets, or sew. Beaver drops in on the crafty gathering. He likes to make things, too, but his projects have to be “useful.” He asks Llama how her knitting will be used, but she admits she has no idea. Friends gather to suggest different ways it could be used—as a sail, rocket ship, hot air balloon basket, each depicted in meticulous stockinette stitch that’s hand-drawn but almost looks photo-collaged in—but none seem safe. Beaver leaves to think up an idea of his own. Thinking harder, Llama discovers ways her knitting can be useful—and Beaver ends up making something useful but lovely too. Soft-edged, whimsically anthropomorphized animals are downright adorable, especially as each friend shows their gratitude to Llama for their new, knitted “somethings” (a trunk carrier for Elephant; a turtleneck for Turtle). Husband-and-wife team Kerr and Liwska combine their love of handmade crafts in this book designed to spark interest in crafts with young readers. Like Llama and Beaver, they will see that despite having different outlooks, there are many ways to work together.
A sweet meditation on the value of creating, regardless of use. (Picture book. 2-6)Pub Date: Oct. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68119-121-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: July 31, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.
A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.
Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Safe to creep on by.
Carle’s famous caterpillar expresses its love.
In three sentences that stretch out over most of the book’s 32 pages, the (here, at least) not-so-ravenous larva first describes the object of its love, then describes how that loved one makes it feel before concluding, “That’s why… / I[heart]U.” There is little original in either visual or textual content, much of it mined from The Very Hungry Caterpillar. “You are… / …so sweet,” proclaims the caterpillar as it crawls through the hole it’s munched in a strawberry; “…the cherry on my cake,” it says as it perches on the familiar square of chocolate cake; “…the apple of my eye,” it announces as it emerges from an apple. Images familiar from other works join the smiling sun that shone down on the caterpillar as it delivers assurances that “you make… / …the sun shine brighter / …the stars sparkle,” and so on. The book is small, only 7 inches high and 5 ¾ inches across when closed—probably not coincidentally about the size of a greeting card. While generations of children have grown up with the ravenous caterpillar, this collection of Carle imagery and platitudinous sentiment has little of his classic’s charm. The melding of Carle’s caterpillar with Robert Indiana’s iconic LOVE on the book’s cover, alas, draws further attention to its derivative nature.
Safe to creep on by. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Dec. 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-448-48932-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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