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LOVE YOU HOO

The loving parental sentiments ring true, and young listeners will chime in on the “hoo” sounds throughout the story.

A proud parent speaks of hopes and dreams for a young child.

In rhyming lines that do not shy away from cliché, the parent owl takes great satisfaction in introducing an owlet to the world: “We’ll never stop exploring, / There’s so much to see and do. / Now you’re here, there’s ALWAYS more / I’m looking forward to.” This sentiment is illustrated with a scene of the two owls flying over a landscape dotted with signposts; a flag on a mountain signals: “Top of the World.” A bay with two tall-masted ships and a whale’s tail is labeled “Wonderful Adventures.” “Going with the flow” is lettered on a sign alongside a river. Although many of the parent-child experiences center on flying, the natural activity of birds, there is one double-page spread that pictures the little owl in distinctly human situations, experimenting with careers such as DJ and florist. This page, composed of many small, humorous vignettes very different from the bold, large images in most of the intensely colored illustrations, is the most fun for a caregiver and child to examine together. The baby owl can be seen presiding over a “World Leaders’ Summit,” becoming a rocket scientist and an archaeologist, climbing Mount Everest, and working as a professional dog walker. The parent owl wisely says: “You see... // whoever you are going to be... / whatever you may do... // wherever you may choose to fly... // ...I’ll ALWAYS love you - hooooooo!”

The loving parental sentiments ring true, and young listeners will chime in on the “hoo” sounds throughout the story. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-61067-621-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Kane Miller

Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017

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CINDERELLA

From the Once Upon a World series

A nice but not requisite purchase.

A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.

Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.

A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)

Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8

Page Count: 24

Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017

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IN THE SKY AT NIGHTTIME

A tender bedtime tale set in a too-seldom-seen northern world.

A quiet book for putting young children to bed in a state of snowy wonder.

The magic of the north comes alive in a picture book featuring Inuit characters. In the sky at nighttime, snow falls fast. / … / In the sky at nighttime, a raven roosts atop a tall building. / … / In the sky at nighttime, a mother’s delicate song to her child arises like a gentle breeze.” With the repetition of the simple, titular refrain, the author envisions what happens in a small town at night: Young children see their breath in the cold; a hunter returns on his snowmobile; the stars dazzle in the night sky. A young mother rocks her baby to sleep with a song and puts the tot down with a trio of stuffed animals: hare, polar bear, seal. The picture book evokes a feeling of peace as the street lamps, northern lights, and moon illuminate the snow. The illustrations are noteworthy for the way they meld the old world with what it looks like to be a modern Indigenous person: A sled dog and fur-lined parkas combine easily with the frame houses, a pickup truck, power lines, and mobile-hung crib. By introducing Indigenous characters in an unremarkably familiar setting, the book reaches children who don’t always see themselves in an everyday context.

A tender bedtime tale set in a too-seldom-seen northern world. (Picture book. 3-5)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-77227-238-3

Page Count: 36

Publisher: Inhabit Media

Review Posted Online: July 27, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019

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