A lovely mix of kindhearted poems sure to appeal to young readers.
Poems of nature and togetherness fill the pages of this picture book with rhythm, rhyme, and warm emotions.
Beginning with a poem that celebrates outdoor experiences and friendship, “Here With You,” this collection offers rhymes about the joys of golden delicious apples, the delights of hugs, the cures for sadness, and the wonder of a good book. Descriptions of the natural world are strongly featured in the quiet spaces of “Between the Sun and Moon” and the gathering of boysenberries in “Boys in Berries.” Though the pieces occasionally venture into the fantastic, there are no gnomes here—until an endnote discloses that the poems, while meant for gnomes, “are also intended for children.” Howell’s whimsical, caring tone permeates the volume, especially in rhymes that emphasize supporting another person, as in “Should You Fall,” which begins: “Should you fall silent, / I will sing you, / if you’re empty, / I will bring you / all of me.” Many of the poems are only a few lines long, making them approachable for young readers, who may enjoy the way some unfamiliar vocabulary words come together in the stanzas (“nectar nuggets”). Tarcan captures the poems’ fanciful natures in digital cartoon illustrations that mix watercolor and colored-pencil textures. A lovely, somewhat abstract night scene emphasizes the quiet of “Between the Sun and Moon,” while a White child falling through a hole into a book heightens the humor of “Let’s Go!”
A lovely mix of kindhearted poems sure to appeal to young readers.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 978-1-64703-075-9
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Handersen Publishing
Review Posted Online: Oct. 4, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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