Sparkling lights and lovely sights fill this whirlwind tour of Paris.
Is there really a building with its ductwork and escalators on the outside?
A little girl discovers there is indeed as her grandfather points to the Pompidou Center on their walking tour of Paris. The two emerge from the Paris Metro to spend the day viewing the architecture, culture and landmarks of the great city. They wander the narrow streets and the wide boulevards, full of pigeons and bicyclists, sidewalk cafes, artists and booksellers. They watch the boats float down the River Seine and taste cheese at the local market. The girl waits patiently (a note explains that “queue” is the French word for “line”) to climb to the top of Notre-Dame Cathedral to get a bird’s-eye view of the city. Scattered about the pages in a distinct, smaller typeface that does not overshadow the primary text are translations of commonly used French words and terms, historical facts, trivia and even travel tips. The consciously retro illustrations in soft, muted colors are lively and expressive, and there’s a nice balance between detailed images and simple silhouettes. Adults familiar with M. Sasek’s This Is… series will find this pleasantly reminiscent of those old favorites. As the book reads more like a travelogue and less a story with a captivating plot, its natural audience is older readers of picture books.
Sparkling lights and lovely sights fill this whirlwind tour of Paris. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 11, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6984-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Jan. 28, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2014
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions.
Ellis, known for her illustrations for Colin Meloy’s Wildwood series, here riffs on the concept of “home.”
Shifting among homes mundane and speculative, contemporary and not, Ellis begins and ends with views of her own home and a peek into her studio. She highlights palaces and mansions, but she also takes readers to animal homes and a certain famously folkloric shoe (whose iconic Old Woman manages a passel of multiethnic kids absorbed in daring games). One spread showcases “some folks” who “live on the road”; a band unloads its tour bus in front of a theater marquee. Ellis’ compelling ink and gouache paintings, in a palette of blue-grays, sepia and brick red, depict scenes ranging from mythical, underwater Atlantis to a distant moonscape. Another spread, depicting a garden and large building under connected, transparent domes, invites readers to wonder: “Who in the world lives here? / And why?” (Earth is seen as a distant blue marble.) Some of Ellis’ chosen depictions, oddly juxtaposed and stripped of any historical or cultural context due to the stylized design and spare text, become stereotypical. “Some homes are boats. / Some homes are wigwams.” A sailing ship’s crew seems poised to land near a trio of men clad in breechcloths—otherwise unidentified and unremarked upon.
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6529-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2014
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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