Representation of a Black farmer adds value to this agriculture-themed book for young readers.
A Black family visits a farm in Johnson’s counting picture book.
The narrator—one of three young granddaughters—notes that Granddad, a farmer, “has one hundred acres of land. He loves tractors and machines. He loves crops and animals. He loves fresh air and dirt.” Their trips to his farm include helping with animal-related chores. The location, according to the afterword, is based on that of Johnson’s North Carolinian grandfather. Biscoe’s detailed, full-color cartoon images of apple trees, strawberries, tomatoes, roaming horses, and diverse livestock evoke a prosaic, all-encompassing mythological American archetype. There’s no evidence that Granddad has hired help for his seven adorable cows, eight pigs, nine chickens, or for his many acres of orchard, which obfuscates how much labor the work entails. However, this cute story offers a refreshing depiction of a Black family’s connection to familial land and of how agricultural knowledge is passed on. Hints of a buy-local ethos are also apparent: “Granddad sells tomatoes, spinach, green beans, potatoes, and peppers to local markets.” Simple counting tasks—involving one farmhouse or four deer—alternate with longer, more involved paragraphs about farm work; a read-aloud may be modified for younger or older children. Backmatter includes advice on how parents can engage kids in counting and literacy-promoting conversations.
Representation of a Black farmer adds value to this agriculture-themed book for young readers.Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2022
ISBN: 9798986307800
Page Count: 32
Publisher: West Oak Lane Kids, LLC
Review Posted Online: Aug. 8, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Menacing and most likely to appeal to established fans of its co-creators.
Existing artwork from an artistic giant inspires a fairy-tale reimagination by a master of the horror genre.
In King’s interpretation of a classic Brothers Grimm story, which accompanies set and costume designs that the late Sendak created for a 1997 production of Engelbert Humperdinck’s opera, siblings Hansel and Gretel survive abandonment in the woods and an evil witch’s plot to gobble them up before finding their “happily ever after” alongside their father. Prose with the reassuring cadence of an old-timey tale, paired with Sendak’s instantly recognizable artwork, will lull readers before capitalizing on these creators’ knack for injecting darkness into seemingly safe spaces. Gaping faces loom in crevices of rocks and trees, and a gloomy palette of muted greens and ocher amplify the story’s foreboding tone, while King never sugarcoats the peach-skinned children’s peril. Branches with “clutching fingers” hide “the awful enchanted house” of a “child-stealing witch,” all portrayed in an eclectic mix of spot and full-bleed images. Featuring insults that might strike some as harsh (“idiot,” “fool”), the lengthy, dense text may try young readers’ patience, and the often overwhelmingly ominous mood feels more pitched to adults—particularly those familiar with King and Sendak—but an introduction acknowledges grandparents as a likely audience, and nostalgia may prompt leniency over an occasional disconnect between words and art.
Menacing and most likely to appeal to established fans of its co-creators. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9780062644695
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2025
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
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.
