A fun story of friendship and forgiveness for young independent readers and patient lap readers.
The Golfing Bee is back in a new rule-learning adventure from Kranz and Motz (The Golfing Bee, 2016).
Wendell, whose friend George gave the bee a miniature set of clubs and a golfer’s outfit in their first story, is eager to spend more time on the golf course. He sleeps with his clubs, and on a rainy day, he practices his swing in the hive. When the sun finally comes out, he greets George and follows along with the game. At first, mud splashes everywhere, even over Wendell when he gets too close! Flying higher, Wendell admires how the ball spins. When George’s ball gets stuck in a sand trap, “called a bunker,” Kranz helpfully notes, Wendell works to free the ball. With a ladybug and a spider, Wendell has almost moved the ball when George shouts at him to stop: moving the ball is breaking the rules! Wendell is ashamed, and his feelings are hurt. After swinging and missing the ball a number of times, George realizes that he needs to apologize. He knows Wendell was only trying to help. Friends with Wendell again, George is able to hit the ball, and Wendell plans to learn more about golf’s rules. Wendell’s reaction after getting yelled at for trying to help will strike a chord with young readers, and George’s abashed apology may feel familiar to parents; that the pair ends their night together looking forward to the next day is a comforting lesson on friendship and/or parent-child relationships. Kranz’s vocabulary is accessible, although the congested text might intimidate readers. Motz’s large, brightly colored illustrations, which manage to show the size differential between bee and human without complicating the composition, are a huge draw. One illustration, in which the ball is hidden in the bunker, is especially fun for children who enjoy seek-and-find–style books. The cartoonish anthropomorphic bee and his round-eyed golfer friend are likable even when at odds. Wendell’s hive room, complete with bed, is still a mystery, but young readers are unlikely to be bothered by the bee-sized furniture.
A fun story of friendship and forgiveness for young independent readers and patient lap readers.Pub Date: Nov. 10, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-9983495-0-3
Page Count: 36
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: May 21, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
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