Young children preferring a light touch will enjoy this one, others can look elsewhere.
A frog experiences different kinds of weather in this sweetly illustrated board book.
The book starts with a “Wake up, Weather!” Readers find a frog asleep in a hammock of cattail leaves, and the sun is sizzling. As the book progresses the weather evolves. There is rain, fog, snow, clouds, wind, and, finally, when the stars come out, the book ends with a “Goodnight, Weather!” Accompanying the changing weather throughout the book, the frog skips from lily pad to lily pad in rain boots in the rain; climbs a ladder to peek above the fog; ice skates in the swirling snow; floats on a cloud; parallels the whispering wind by whispering to a fellow frog; and, finally, when the weather presumably goes to sleep, so does the frog in the hammock. The true value of the book lies in the richness of the verbs used: “sizzles,” “puddles,” “creeps,” “swirls,” “float,” “whispers,” “shimmer.” The watercolor illustrations have a light, airy, and delicate feel, and the big smile on the frog’s face is a friendly invitation to follow the action. And yet, there is a spark missing to the whole. The pastel-colored, soft-edged illustrations communicate little energy, and the intrusion of snow into what otherwise could be seen as a narrative occurring in one day feels off (if pedagogically excusable).
Young children preferring a light touch will enjoy this one, others can look elsewhere. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: March 8, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-56846-286-8
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Creative Editions/Creative Company
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
A gentle outing for children who are ready for stories of everyday life rather than just objects to name.
A brief rhyming board book for toddlers.
Spurr's earlier board books (In the Garden and At the Beach, both 2012; In the Woods, 2013) featured an adventuresome little boy. Her new slice-of-life story stars an equally joyful little girl who takes pleasure in flying a new kite while not venturing far off the walkway. Oliphant's expressive and light-filled watercolors clearly depict the child's emotions—eager excitement on the way to the park, delight at the kite's flight in the wind, shock when the kite breaks free, dejection, and finally relief and amazement. The rhymes work, though uneven syllable counts in some stanzas interrupt the smooth flow of the verse. The illustrations depict the child with her mass of windblown curls, brown skin, and pronounced facial features as African-American. Her guardian (presumably her mother) is also brown-skinned. It is refreshing to see an African-American family settled comfortably in a suburban setting with single-family homes and a park where the family dog does not need to be leashed.
A gentle outing for children who are ready for stories of everyday life rather than just objects to name. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: March 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-56145-854-7
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
A wholesome and gentle story that's pleasant and soothing for little ones of all faiths, though it will have extra resonance...
The wonder of the natural world becomes more meaningful through active engagement with it.
A young family’s camping vacation makes two significant overnight stops, one at the seaside and one further inland in a lush green field. As parents set up tents, brother and sister feel the hot sand, marvel at the wide waves, breathe in the salty air and hear the wind’s English/Hebrew whisper of “good night, laila tov.” Similarly, while parents plant new tree seedlings in the field, children gather berries, are awed by field mice, surprised by bees and ultimately fall asleep to the rhythmic pattern of rain that mimics the “good night, laila tov” message. Bright, often full double-page scenes in deeply rich, opaque hues on textured paper bring out the natural essence of this sweet bedtime piece told in lilting rhyme. “We drove out to the oceanside. / The sand was hot. The waves were wide. / Tall grasses swayed. The salty air / Was soft and still and everywhere.” The continual assurance of its repetitive refrain, found on every other page, complements the theme of caring for nature’s beauty. Though the Judaic concept of tikkun olam, or repairing the world, is not explicitly stated within the text, it pervades the whole.
A wholesome and gentle story that's pleasant and soothing for little ones of all faiths, though it will have extra resonance in Jewish households. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: March 27, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-375-86868-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 2, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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