A well-intentioned conceit that risks undoing itself.
The short stories in this picture book rely heavily on accompanying art to fill in the spaces between beginnings and ends.
Dotlich’s book begins with the statement that “For every STORY there is a BEGINNING and an END, but what happens IN BETWEEN makes ALL the DIFFERENCE.” Subsequent pages follow a little girl’s brief adventures. Each begins, “One day…” and introduces a scenario, then concludes with “The End.” In between opening and closing lines, Koehler’s art provides visual narrative content for the meat of the story. For example, the first story reads: “One Day…I WENT TO SCHOOL. I CAME HOME. The End.” Accompanying illustrations show the girl playing with a cat during her walk to school, then racing in late to school, then making a mess in science class, then walking dejectedly home, then cheering up at the sight of an ice cream truck, then feeling sad when her ice cream falls on the ground, and then feeling happy again because she apparently picked up the ice cream and plopped it back on the cone. Perhaps the book’s conceit is supposed to inspire children to use words to “create their own middles” (as the dedication page reads), but describing the action of a picture that does just this seems quite a different task than imagining a middle by oneself.
A well-intentioned conceit that risks undoing itself. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-62091-451-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2015
A nicely inventive little morality “tail” for newly independent readers.
Two little rats decide to show the world how tough they are, with unpredictable results.
Louie and Ralphie Ratso want to be just like their single dad, Big Lou: tough! They know that “tough” means doing mean things to other animals, like stealing Chad Badgerton’s hat. Chad Badgerton is a big badger, so taking that hat from him proves that Louie and Ralphie are just as tough as they want to be. However, it turns out that Louie and Ralphie have just done a good deed instead of a bad one: Chad Badgerton had taken that hat from little Tiny Crawley, a mouse, so when Tiny reclaims it, they are celebrated for goodness rather than toughness. Sadly, every attempt Louie and Ralphie make at doing mean things somehow turns nice. What’s a little boy rat supposed to do to be tough? Plus, they worry about what their dad will say when he finds out how good they’ve been. But wait! Maybe their dad has some other ideas? LaReau keeps the action high and completely appropriate for readers embarking on chapter books. Each of the first six chapters features a new, failed attempt by Louie and Ralphie to be mean, and the final, seventh chapter resolves everything nicely. The humor springs from their foiled efforts and their reactions to their failures. Myers’ sprightly grayscale drawings capture action and characters and add humorous details, such as the Ratsos’ “unwelcome” mat.
A nicely inventive little morality “tail” for newly independent readers. (Fiction. 5-8)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7636-0
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
Supportive messages all children need to hear.
The world is lucky you’re here.
In gentle verse, this book delivers a quiet yet powerfully uplifting message: You’re special; you’re wonderful; you’re endowed with remarkable talents. You’re uniquely, unmistakably, unequivocally YOU, so don’t be afraid to go out and conquer the world. Gifts you don’t know about yet are ready to blossom; possibilities you haven’t begun to dream about are looming; roads you haven’t yet begun to explore lie before you! This is heady, empowering stuff. The encouraging proposals herein will boost children’s esteem when their spirits are flagging. Richmond reminds readers that the world’s waiting for them—to voice their ideas and opinions, to be the very best versions of themselves, and to do good for others. Some ideas may be a bit too lofty for children; adults might have to help explain things occasionally. Generally, though, kids should get the point that the world awaits them, that they’re special, and that they should aim to be the best they can be. The book will also make a fine gift for baby showers and new parents. Appealing illustrations, created with graphite pencil and digital methods, have an idyllic sweetness, depicting racially diverse characters putting on a play, spending time in nature, and more. Typefaces occasionally vary to highlight particular concepts.
Supportive messages all children need to hear. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9781728291529
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2024
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