A tenderhearted story that shows that our loved ones never truly leave us.
Nature and memories help with the loss of a loved one.
A child cautiously walks through the crowd of unfamiliar people at home paying respects to the family after the loss of Grandma. Looking to get away from the sad scene, the child bundles up and takes a walk out in the snow, recalling the bonding moments shared with the beloved grandmother. A strong gust of wind reminds the protagonist of Grandma brushing her hair; a pine cone recalls Grandma’s bun; thick tree trunks call to mind her “ankles and how they hurt.” Eventually, Grandpa treks out to find his grandchild, and the two head home, boosted by their memories. This sentimental look at death and mourning is buoyed by its positive portrayal of the recently deceased and her relationship with the protagonist. As the child recalls the beloved grandmother, her face and body reflect the realities of getting older. The text, translated from French, contains short sentences that mostly start with “I remember,” making this a good choice to share with young readers. The illustrations’ bright color palette makes the harsh winter climate shine, yet occasionally clashes with the text; during the wake, for example, “everything seemed to be in black and white,” yet the scene is shown in bright yellows, oranges, and reds.
A tenderhearted story that shows that our loved ones never truly leave us. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781782694663
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Pushkin Children’s Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2024
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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
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