An amiable story of a joyful child.
Sullivan’s illustrated, rhyming children’s book tells the story of a young girl thoroughly enjoying her everyday life.
As this story opens, Lilah wonders how to spend her time, as “There are so many things I can do with my day.” She knows she must start with a good breakfast of her favorite foods: yogurt and fruit. Afterward, Lilah catches a butterfly in her mother’s garden, and her kindness toward the insect shines: “ ‘You’re so beautiful,’ she said, ‘but I’m setting you free. You belong to everyone, that’s the way it should be.’ ” Lilah plays hopscotch, pretends to be a ballerina, plays T-ball, flies a kite, and teases her dog by pretending to throw a ball while playing fetch: “ ‘I have it right here!’ she said, ‘I didn’t throw it!’ Then she giggled and laughed because the dog didn’t know it.” Eventually, her day winds down. She tries to work on a jigsaw puzzle but begins to fall asleep; she goes to bed and dreams about her day, looking forward to tomorrow and thinking “it’s great to be alive!” Over the course of this tale, Sullivan presents simple text with easy rhymes. It is a story that is certain to appeal to an audience of young readers, with sentiments that are consistently joyful and uplifting in tone. Lilah’s adventures may inspire readers to also enjoy the simple things in life to the fullest. Watson’s cartoon illustrations are simple, fun, and colorful; Lilah is depicted with bright-yellow skin, a pink nose, and orange-flushed cheeks. Watson’s images support the events of the text nicely; a two-page illustration of Lilah running through the sprinkler is particularly notable.
An amiable story of a joyful child.Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2022
ISBN: 9781639886111
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 23, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This should send Dark Knight fans flying to the Batcave—or the bedroom.
Holy bedtime, Batman!
In a sleepy-looking neighborhood under a dusky cerulean sky, a young, brown-haired, white boy goes through the motions of getting ready for bed: he brushes his teeth, takes a bath, picks up his toys, and feeds his fish. In a parallel visual narrative, beckoned by the cat's-eye–yellow bat-signal, Batman keeps Gotham safe for another night by catching crooks, locking them away, and avenging those who have been wronged. Though the two characters are quite different, through a carefully flexible narrative, Dahl and Beavers weave a convincing tale of just how similar they might be. “It’s time to take care of business” describes the child’s trip to the potty and Batman’s dive down a manhole equally well, for instance. Beavers' art is visually striking and vibrantly hued, perfect for keeping young eyes glued to each page. Dahl's economical text is cadenced with a gentle lilt, just right for a bedtime read-aloud. Young fans of the caped crusader will delight in spying their favorite characters. In the already-overstuffed bedtime-book market, this is certainly a niche read, but it hits its mark well, delivering fun without darkness. A “bedtime checklist” at the end aptly includes “story time.”
This should send Dark Knight fans flying to the Batcave—or the bedroom. (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-62370-732-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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