There’s nothing not to like in this sweet tale of a boy who needs to give up his beloved blanket. As Cote’s age-appropriate rhymes explain, “ ‘A blanket's for a baby,’ / his daddy tells him so. / ‘It’s time to be a big boy— / this old blanket needs to go.’ ” But Jackson wholeheartedly disagrees. He takes it to his grandma’s house, to the doctor’s, even to the beach. He never wants it washed and uses it to protect him on stormy nights. Then one snowy winter day, Jackson discovers a kitten outside his house. He brings her in and makes a bed for her out of his blanket. His parents let him keep the kitten, and Jackson decides that since she’s only a baby, she needs the blanket more than he does. Cote’s functional illustrations, in watercolor-pencil and gouache, are pleasant, but the real meat is in the text. With a non-preachy and empowering ending, this story will certainly ring true to those ready (or not quite) to give up their loveys. (Picture book. 4-6)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-399-24694-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2008
Categories: CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S
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While her father mows the lawn at her new house, Caroline wonders how it could actually reflect the street’s name. Soon she finds a small blossom growing in the grass, then another, and eventually persuades Dad to sell the mower while the yard grows freely with wildflowers. Adding a maple tree and a man-made pond attracts an assortment of wildlife from birds, to insects, to a mud turtle and a meadow mouse. Neighbors are encouraged to follow suit, creating meadow environments rather than pristine lawns. Full-color acrylic paintings in double-paged spreads of multiple shades of green, dotted with hues of summer flowers, tell this nature-lover’s story which suggests the possibility of chemical-free garden environments. Though the message will be missed by young children, most will enjoy a final rendering of all the meadow creatures next to their proper names that now live on Meadowview Street. Gentle persuasion for the naturalist in everyone. (Picture book. 4-6)
Pub Date: May 1, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-06-056481-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2007
Categories: CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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BOOK REVIEW
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Loewen’s story is a simple snapshot of kindergarten graduation day, and it stays true to form, with Yoshikawa’s artwork resembling photos that might be placed in an album—and the illustrations cheer, a mixed media of saturated color, remarkable depth and joyful expression. The author comfortably captures the hesitations of making the jump from kindergarten to first grade without making a fuss about it, and she makes the prospect something worth the effort. Trepidation aside, this is a reminder of how much fun kindergarten was: your own cubbyhole, the Halloween parade, losing a tooth, “the last time we’ll ever sit criss-cross applesauce together.” But there is also the fledgling’s pleasure at shucking off the past—swabbing the desks, tossing out the stubbiest crayons, taking the pictures off the wall—and surging into the future. Then there is graduation itself: donning the mortarboards, trooping into the auditorium—“Mr. Meyer starts playing a serious song on the piano. It makes me want to cry. It makes me want to march”—which will likely have a few adult readers feeling the same. (Picture book. 4-5)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-7614-5807-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish
Review Posted Online: Jan. 8, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2011
Categories: CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S
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