Should you get this book? 100% yes.
A big book about little experiences from a keen documentarian of early childhood.
In this tour de force, Schwartz makes slice-of-life depictions of the everyday lives of young children seem like a piece of cake, belying her extraordinary skills of observation and visual characterization. As in companion titles 100 Things I Love To Do With You (2017) and 100 Things That Make Me Happy (2014), the first-person pronoun in the title is not visually interpreted as a single child but rather as a multiracial ensemble of toddlers and preschoolers, which provides an inclusive, welcoming vision. Deceptively simple couplets introduce the “100 things” these diverse youngsters know how to do while the accompanying art provides visual details for readers to pore over. Meanwhile, expert pacing sparingly uses full-page illustrations to create contemplative moments amid the frequent, energetic vignettes, delivering a visual rhythm that’s every bit as engaging as the bouncing, rhyming words. In one spread, for instance, three vignettes arranged vertically on verso illustrate “build boats / zip coats / wave wands” while across the gutter, a full-page image depicts two adult-child pairs as they “explore ponds”—actually just one pond in a peaceful meadow. With this trio of books, Schwartz solidifies her place alongside the likes of Kate Greenaway, Gyo Fujikawa, Helen Oxenbury, Shirley Hughes, and Marla Frazee as chroniclers of little ones’ lives. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Should you get this book? 100% yes. (Picture book. 2-6)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4197-4326-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
IN THE NEWS
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school...
The familiar theme of the challenges facing a new kid in town is given an original treatment by photographer Border in this book of photos of three-dimensional objects in a simple modeled landscape.
Peanut Butter is represented by a slice of white bread spread with the popular condiment. The other characters in the story—a hamburger with a pair of hot dogs in tow, a bowl of alphabet soup, a meatball jumping a rope of spaghetti, a carton of French fries and a pink cupcake—are represented by skillfully crafted models of these foods, anthropomorphized using simple wire construction. Rejected by each character in turn in his search for playmates, Peanut Butter discovers in the end that Jelly is his true match (not Cupcake, as the title suggests), perhaps because she is the only one who looks like him, being a slice of white bread spread with jelly. The friendly foods end up happily playing soccer together. Some parents may have trouble with the unabashedly happy depiction of carbs and American junk food (no carrots or celery sticks in this landscape), and others may find themselves troubled by the implication that friendship across difference is impossible.
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school experiences. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 29, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-399-16773-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
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)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
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