Appealing pictures, an engaging throughline, and solid guidance will inspire young poets.
Taylor weaves lessons on writing verse into several stories about a young pig.
In five lighthearted tales, Piglet learns what poems are, then discovers ideas for constructing them based on observation and imagination. Each of Piglet’s adventures concludes with more information on the kind of poem he’s learned to write, as well as tips for readers. In the first story, Piglet and his mom enjoy a hilly hike. When Piglet drops a stone in a puddle, words like sunshiny and sploshing splash out. When he recites them, his mom exclaims, “Piglet…that’s a poem!” After several more word bursts occur, Mom emphasizes that poems contain a poet’s “true words.” Taylor then introduces a mapping technique for arraying descriptive words around a subject. In the next tale, Piglet accompanies his best friend, Squirrel, on a family vacation to the beach. The ocean is thunderous on a wild, windy day, then quietly calm the next. The friends think of metaphors to describe the sea on each day, correctly speculating that they’ve created a poem. Taylor’s ensuing lesson, “A Comparing Poem,” helps readers identify two opposite qualities, then encourages them to think up four metaphors for each. Subsequent sections introduce personification (“A Making-a-Person-Out-of-Something Poem”) and direct address (“An I-Would-Give-You Poem”). Usher’s watercolor illustrations provide charming details for both Piglet’s lively excursions and the clearly expressed, jargon-free writing exercises.
Appealing pictures, an engaging throughline, and solid guidance will inspire young poets. (Informational picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: March 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781536239331
Page Count: 72
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2025
A good introduction to observation, data, and trying again.
Cece loves asking “why” and “what if.”
Her parents encourage her, as does her science teacher, Ms. Curie (a wink to adult readers). When Cece and her best friend, Isaac, pair up for a science project, they choose zoology, brainstorming questions they might research. They decide to investigate whether dogs eat vegetables, using Cece’s schnauzer, Einstein, and the next day they head to Cece’s lab (inside her treehouse). Wearing white lab coats, the two observe their subject and then offer him different kinds of vegetables, alone and with toppings. Cece is discouraged when Einstein won’t eat them. She complains to her parents, “Maybe I’m not a real scientist after all….Our project was boring.” Just then, Einstein sniffs Cece’s dessert, leading her to try a new way to get Einstein to eat vegetables. Cece learns that “real scientists have fun finding answers too.” Harrison’s clean, bright illustrations add expression and personality to the story. Science report inserts are reminiscent of The Magic Schoolbus books, with less detail. Biracial Cece is a brown, freckled girl with curly hair; her father is white, and her mother has brown skin and long, black hair; Isaac and Ms. Curie both have pale skin and dark hair. While the book doesn’t pack a particularly strong emotional or educational punch, this endearing protagonist earns a place on the children’s STEM shelf.
A good introduction to observation, data, and trying again. (glossary) (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: June 19, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-249960-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
Another playful imagination-stretcher.
Markle invites children to picture themselves living in the homes of 11 wild animals.
As in previous entries in the series, McWilliam’s illustrations of a diverse cast of young people fancifully imitating wild creatures are paired with close-up photos of each animal in a like natural setting. The left side of one spread includes a photo of a black bear nestling in a cozy winter den, while the right side features an image of a human one cuddled up with a bear. On another spread, opposite a photo of honeybees tending to newly hatched offspring, a human “larva” lounges at ease in a honeycomb cell, game controller in hand, as insect attendants dish up goodies. A child with an eye patch reclines on an orb weaver spider’s web, while another wearing a head scarf constructs a castle in a subterranean chamber with help from mound-building termites. Markle adds simple remarks about each type of den, nest, or burrow and basic facts about its typical residents, then closes with a reassuring reminder to readers that they don’t have to live as animals do, because they will “always live where people live.” A select gallery of traditional homes, from igloo and yurt to mudhif, follows a final view of the young cast waving from a variety of differently styled windows.
Another playful imagination-stretcher. (Informational picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: May 7, 2024
ISBN: 9781339049052
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
