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SAY HELLO?

Name: SAY HELLO?
Author: Sung Mi Kim
ISBN: 978-1-922610-49-2

by Sung Mi Kim ; illustrated by Sung Mi Kim ; translated by Clare Richards ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 6, 2022

Though the protagonists miss what could have been a wonderful friendship, readers can learn from their mistakes.

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Kim captures those awkward moments when someone moves in next door and reaching out to say hello becomes difficult.

When the Fox family moves next door to Mr. Wolf, both Little Fox and Mr. Wolf know saying hello would be the neighborly thing to do. But when they first meet, both are in a bad mood, and they silently pass each other by. As days pass, saying hello becomes even harder, especially after a series of inadvertent missteps and hurt feelings. Soon, the pair begin to cast side-eyes at each other, and they are locked in a battle of wills. Who will say hello first? Neither does, and both rejoice when Mr. Wolf eventually moves away. As fate would have it, they later meet while crossing a street, recognize each other, say hello, and realize that greeting each other wasn’t so hard. In contrast to the black-and-white outlined illustrations of urban scenes, each character is drawn in a distinct color, pink for Little Fox and blue for Mr. Wolf. Although most illustrations place the two in large city scenes, full-page close-ups of Little Fox and contrasting close-ups of the two protagonists make their emotions clear. This simple Korean import is told primarily through the characters’ dialogue and thoughts, making it a perfect choice for dramatic read-alouds and role-playing to help children empathize with others and polish their social graces. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Though the protagonists miss what could have been a wonderful friendship, readers can learn from their mistakes. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-922610-49-2

Page Count: 44

Publisher: Berbay Publishing

Review Posted Online: June 7, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- PERSPECTIVES
16 Picture Books Sure To Delight Kids This Fall

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LOVE FROM THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR

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

Safe to creep on by.

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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)

Pub Date: Dec. 15, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-448-48932-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap

Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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by Eric Carle ; illustrated by Eric Carle

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.

Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)