Cummings (My Aunt Came Back, 1998, etc.) provides another glimpse of real life in this exuberant family story. Mother needs big sister, Amanda Lynne, to help with her toddler brother, so under mother’s watchful eye, Amanda Lynne spends the day baby-sitting. Eating, dressing, playing outdoors, bathing, and getting ready for bed—all the normal activities of a baby’s day—are humorously detailed in rhyme and illustration. The day ends with a quiet, bedtime scene—Amanda reading to baby; pussycat curled up in the bed; baby almost ready to sleep. And fun begins again the next morning. Mother’s refrain is “what an angel he can be,” but the illustrations show Amanda Lynne’s many frustrations with her active, not so angelic, little sibling. Each double-page spread is an amusing scene of Amanda and the baby, their toy-filled home and back yard. Mother is never seen in the pictures, but Cummings shows her hands or a bit of her face and the reader has the sense of a loving presence. Amanda’s expressive face reflects all the feelings of a nine- or ten-year-old when faced with a day spent with a baby who gets into everything, makes a mess, and chases the cat. The family’s pet cat, which appears in every scene, often echoes Amanda’s feelings with the most expressive feline eyes. Older siblings will really appreciate this one. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: May 31, 2000
ISBN: 0-688-14821-2
Page Count: 24
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2000
Categories: CHILDREN'S FAMILY
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Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 4, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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Reagan’s second outing is a tongue-in-cheek reversal of roles as a young boy instructs readers on how best to entertain and care for a grandpa while Mom and Dad are away.
First, he instructs them to hide when Grandpa rings the doorbell—resist the wiggles and giggles, and only pop out when he gives up. Then, reassure him that Mom and Dad will be back and distract him with a snack—heavy on the ice cream, cookies, ketchup and olives. Throughout the day, the narrator takes his grandpa for a walk, entertains him, plays with him, puts him down for a nap and encourages him to clean up before Mom and Dad’s return. Lists on almost every spread give readers a range of ideas for things to try, provided their grandfathers are not diabetic or arthritic, or have high blood pressure or a heart condition. These lists also provide Wildish with lots of fodder for his vignette illustrations. His digital artwork definitely focuses on the humor, with laugh-out-loud scenes and funny hidden details. And his characters’ expressive faces also help to fill in the grandfather-grandson relationship that Reagan's deadpan narrative leaves unstated.
A good choice for just those days when Mom and Dad do go away and leave their children in charge of Grandpa. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 10, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-375-86713-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Feb. 5, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2012
Categories: CHILDREN'S FAMILY
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