SAY HELLO, SOPHIE

Name: SAY HELLO, SOPHIE
Author: Rosemary Wells
ISBN: 978-1-101-99925-7

by Rosemary Wells ; illustrated by Rosemary Wells ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 7, 2017

This is Wells’ work at her best—insightful, witty, and beautifully drawn. Once again, she adeptly addresses a childhood...

bookshelf

The delightful mouse Sophie returns, this time to overcome her salutation anxiety with Granny’s clever expertise.

A tray of crocodile cream puffs beckons in the bakery window, but Sophie cannot find her words. “Hello” just won’t come out; while on a hike, “thank you” shrinks “to the size of a pea”; and “please” vanishes “into thin air” at the library. Per her parents’ request, Sophie practices, handily greeting her sister, the chickadees, and George Washington’s statue. But real-life results remain unchanged until Granny gets wind of the situation, her wise response empowering Sophie to find the answers within. As flowers bloom across the endpages (and on Sophie’s pants), they mirror the mouse herself as she finds her voice. The illustrator’s exquisite patterning and hand-drawn details offer a timeless appeal, and signature ink, watercolor, and gouache illustrations perfectly capture the irrepressible Sophie and her comic sibling sidekick, Jane. Here, no pose or expression is wasted, as each contributes to a comedic beat that builds to a surprise ending, sure to get giggles.

This is Wells’ work at her best—insightful, witty, and beautifully drawn. Once again, she adeptly addresses a childhood concern with great respect and humor. (Picture book. 2-6)

Pub Date: March 7, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-101-99925-7

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

- BOOK REVIEW
THE LITTLE CHEFS
by Rosemary Wells ; illustrated by Rosemary Wells

- BOOK REVIEW
GENIUS IN A HIGH CHAIR
by Rosemary Wells ; illustrated by Rosemary Wells

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE NIGHT BEFORE KINDERGARTEN
by Rosemary Wells ; illustrated by Rosemary Wells

bookshelf

LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S HALLOWEEN

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 5, 2016

Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.

bookshelf

A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.

Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.

Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)

Pub Date: July 5, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3

Page Count: 16

Publisher: HMH Books

Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK MAKES A FRIEND
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
TIME FOR SCHOOL, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S VALENTINE
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

bookshelf

LOVE FROM THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR

by Eric Carle ; illustrated by Eric Carle ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 15, 2015

Safe to creep on by.

bookshelf

Carle’s famous caterpillar expresses its love.

In three sentences that stretch out over most of the book’s 32 pages, the (here, at least) not-so-ravenous larva first describes the object of its love, then describes how that loved one makes it feel before concluding, “That’s why… / I[heart]U.” There is little original in either visual or textual content, much of it mined from The Very Hungry Caterpillar. “You are… / …so sweet,” proclaims the caterpillar as it crawls through the hole it’s munched in a strawberry; “…the cherry on my cake,” it says as it perches on the familiar square of chocolate cake; “…the apple of my eye,” it announces as it emerges from an apple. Images familiar from other works join the smiling sun that shone down on the caterpillar as it delivers assurances that “you make… / …the sun shine brighter / …the stars sparkle,” and so on. The book is small, only 7 inches high and 5 ¾ inches across when closed—probably not coincidentally about the size of a greeting card. While generations of children have grown up with the ravenous caterpillar, this collection of Carle imagery and platitudinous sentiment has little of his classic’s charm. The melding of Carle’s caterpillar with Robert Indiana’s iconic LOVE on the book’s cover, alas, draws further attention to its derivative nature.

Safe to creep on by. (Picture book. 3-6)