A delightful story of an antagonist who becomes a little less antagonistic because of one smart and kind boy.
A determined little boy finds truth in his father’s words about the larger-than-life catfish on the end of his fishing line.
Tired of gumbo, Thibodeaux boards his pirogue and heads for Bayou Fryou to catch Pantagruel, “that big old catfish” with three hooks in his mouth. Thibodeaux nabs the wily fish with bacon and bread, giving him the fourth hook, but Pantagruel demands that the boy cut the line. If he doesn’t, Pantagruel promises to drag him “all the way to Longue Chaise Bay, where the giant crabs will eat you.” Despite disadvantages of size and strength, Thibodeaux refuses. When no one comes to his rescue, he must solve this conundrum himself. Peppered with French Creole words and references to New Orleans cuisine, this story offers a glimpse into Louisiana bayou folklore. While young readers will enjoy hearing of Thibodeaux’s solo adventure, Casey’s illustrations give the story a distinctive mood. The painterly, acrylic-on-canvas paintings have a black background, and Casey makes some scenes intentionally out of focus to increase the mystery of events. She also uses perspective to good effect, often putting readers right up to Pantagruel’s mouth—hooks and all. As Thibodeaux moves back toward safety, blues and reds replace blacks, lightening the mood as the conflict resolves.
A delightful story of an antagonist who becomes a little less antagonistic because of one smart and kind boy. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-9986362-0-7
Page Count: 34
Publisher: Solomon & George Publishers
Review Posted Online: Aug. 6, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Pedestrian.
Mr. Brown can’t help with farm chores because his shoes are missing—a common occurrence in his household and likely in many readers’ as well.
Children will be delighted that the titular Mr. Brown is in fact a child. After Mr. Brown looks in his closet and sorts through his other family members’ shoes with no luck, his father and his siblings help him search the farm. Eventually—after colorful pages that enable readers to spot footwear hiding—the family gives up on their hunt, and Mr. Brown asks to be carried around for the chores. He rides on his father’s shoulders as Papa gets his work done, as seen on a double-page spread of vignettes. The resolution is more of a lesson for the adult readers than for children, a saccharine moment where father and son express their joy that the missing shoes gave them the opportunity for togetherness—with advice for other parents to appreciate those fleeting moments themselves. Though the art is bright and cheerful, taking advantage of the setting, it occasionally is misaligned with the text (for example, the text states that Mr. Brown is wearing his favorite green shirt while the illustration is of a shirt with wide stripes of white and teal blue, which could confuse readers at the point where they’re trying to figure out which family member is Mr. Brown). The family is light-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Pedestrian. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 14, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-5460-0389-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: WorthyKids/Ideals
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
Clever verse coupled with bold primary-colored images is sure to attract and hone the attention of fun-seeking children...
A fizzy yet revealing romp through the toy world.
Though of standard picture-book size, Stein and illustrator Staake’s latest collaboration (Bugs Galore, 2012, etc.) presents a sweeping compendium of diversions for the young. From fairies and gnomes, race cars and jacks, tin cans and socks, to pots ’n’ pans and a cardboard box, Stein combs the toy kingdom for equally thrilling sources of fun. These light, tightly rhymed quatrains focus nicely on the functions characterizing various objects, such as “Floaty, bubbly, / while-you-wash toys” or “Sharing-secrets- / with-tin-cans toys,” rather than flatly stating their names. Such ambiguity at once offers Staake free artistic rein to depict copious items capable of performing those tasks and provides pre-readers ample freedom to draw from the experiences of their own toy chests as they scan Staake’s vibrant spreads brimming with chunky, digitally rendered objects and children at play. The sense of community and sharing suggested by most of the spreads contributes well to Stein’s ultimate theme, which he frames by asking: “But which toy is / the best toy ever? / The one most fun? / Most cool and clever?” Faced with three concluding pages filled with all sorts of indoor and outside toys to choose from, youngsters may be shocked to learn, on turning to the final spread, that the greatest one of all—“a toy SENSATION!”—proves to be “[y]our very own / imagination.”
Clever verse coupled with bold primary-colored images is sure to attract and hone the attention of fun-seeking children everywhere. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6254-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: July 16, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2013
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