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MORDANT'S WISH

Name: MORDANT'S WISH
Author: Valerie Coursen
ISBN: 0-8050-4374-8

by Valerie Coursen & illustrated by Valerie Coursen ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1997

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Mordant the Mole wishes for a friend and gets one in this greeting-card-pretty picture book. Mordant sees a cloud in the sky that looks like a turtle, and wishes the turtle were real, and his friend. While he is wishing, he blows on a white dandelion and scatters its seeds, which causes a bike rider to think of snow, and then, snow cones. Cause and effect all but take over, as the drips from the snow cone remind a bird to visit its aunt, a barber takes liberty with a haircut, etc. The chain reaction isn't perfect, but does lead to a turtle's crossing a road in time to meet Mordant. In Coursen's first book, the gouache colors are light and airy; some of the visual perspectives are intriguing, e.g., a rose from the beetle's point of view. The illustrations are the highlight of the book: There's a good idea behind all the activity, but it's not as tightly timed as David Macaulay's Shortcut (1995), nor does it fully engage readers, emotionally, to carry them over the bumps in the plot. Those old enough to know the meaning of Mordant's name may wonder if his wish for a friend is, after all, mere sarcasm. (Picture book. 5-7)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1997

ISBN: 0-8050-4374-8

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Henry Holt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1997

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE POODLE WHO BARKED AT THE WIND
by Charlotte Zolotow & illustrated by Valerie Coursen

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THE COOL BEAN MAKES A SPLASH

From the I Can Read! series

by Jory John ; illustrated by Pete Oswald ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 26, 2024

Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind.

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The cool beans again step up to do a timorous fellow legume a fava…this time at the pool.

Will a rash decision to tackle the multistory super-slide lead to another embarrassing watery fail for our shy protagonist? Nope, for up the stairs right behind comes a trio of cool beans, each a different type and color, all clad in nothing but dark shades. They make an offer: “It’s not as scary if you go with friends!” As the knobby nerd explains once the thrilling ride down is done, “They all realized that I just needed some encouragement and support.” Just to make sure that both cool and uncool readers get the message, the narrator lets us know that “there are plenty of kind folks who have my back. They’re always there when I need them.” The beany bonhomie doesn’t end at the bottom of the slide, with all gliding down to the shallow end of the pool (“3 INCHES. NO DIVING”) for a splashy finale. This latest early reader starring characters from John and Oswald’s immensely popular Food Group series will be a hit with fans. Fun accessories, such as a bean who rocks pink cat-eye frames, add some pizzazz to the chromatically and somatotypically varied cast.

Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind. (Easy reader. 5-7)

Pub Date: March 26, 2024

ISBN: 9780063329560

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
EVERYTHING'S WRONG!
by Jory John ; illustrated by Erin Kraan

- BOOK REVIEW
YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE THIS BOOK!
by Jory John ; illustrated by Olivier Tallec

- BOOK REVIEW
THE BIG CHEESE
by Jory John ; illustrated by Pete Oswald

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BECAUSE YOUR DADDY LOVES YOU

by Andrew Clements & illustrated by R.W. Alley ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 23, 2005

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Give this child’s-eye view of a day at the beach with an attentive father high marks for coziness: “When your ball blows across the sand and into the ocean and starts to drift away, your daddy could say, Didn’t I tell you not to play too close to the waves? But he doesn’t. He wades out into the cold water. And he brings your ball back to the beach and plays roll and catch with you.” Alley depicts a moppet and her relaxed-looking dad (to all appearances a single parent) in informally drawn beach and domestic settings: playing together, snuggling up on the sofa and finally hugging each other goodnight. The third-person voice is a bit distancing, but it makes the togetherness less treacly, and Dad’s mix of love and competence is less insulting, to parents and children both, than Douglas Wood’s What Dads Can’t Do (2000), illus by Doug Cushman. (Picture book. 5-7)