This fresh take on an old text is worth checking out.
An old Christmas poem is paired with Mr. Boddington’s distinctive illustration style.
Linear brush strokes, multiple patterns, flat perspectives, and blocks of pink distinguish the illustrations accompanying this rendition of the familiar Christmas chestnut. The text of the poem is set in couplets against bubbles or solid background colors. Busy pictures show a brown-skinned family sleeping inside a multistory residence set in a small, Christmas-themed village, with Santa’s sleigh and reindeer riding above. Elves with various skin tones and hair textures assist Santa, who is White, with the deliveries. Going down the chimney and inside the narrator’s home, the elves explore playfully while Santa finds a moment to sit, smoking his pipe and reading the newspaper. The perspective of the spreads resembles a view into a dollhouse. Santa’s list of major cities to visit includes Nairobi, Rio, Istanbul, Tokyo, and Mumbai, among other destinations, but the names on his list of “nice” children (and pets) are noticeably and disappointingly not nearly so international in character. Text within the illustrations adds details to the story, including a nod to Jean-Michel Basquiat on the family’s kitchen bulletin board. Santa’s sleigh takes off into the star-studded night sky above a zoo filled with active animals in the middle of the red and green town. This unexpected combination of old poetry with a modern artistic style will find an enthusiastic audience in Mr. Boddington’s existing fans and may win the design studio new ones as well. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
This fresh take on an old text is worth checking out. (Picture book. 4-9)Pub Date: Oct. 12, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-38407-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This frenetic ode to fatherhood is predictable fare but may please series fans.
It’s time to look for the elusive Daddysaurus.
In this latest installment in the seemingly never-ending series about a group of diverse kids attempting to trap mythical creatures, the youngsters are now on the lookout for a big mauve dinosaur with an emblazoned D on his stomach and a superhero cape. The fast-moving Daddysaurus is always on the go; he will be difficult to catch. Armed with blueprints of possible ideas, the kids decide which traps to set. As in previous works, ones of the sticky variety seem popular. They cover barbells with fly paper (Daddysaurus like to exercise) and spread glue on the handle of a shovel (Daddysaurus also likes to garden). One clever trick involves tempting Daddysaurus with a drawing of a hole, taped to the wall, because he fixes everything that breaks. Daddysaurus is certainly engaged in the children’s lives, not a workaholic or absent, but he does fall into some standard tropes associated with fathers. The rhyming quatrains stumble at times but for the most part bounce along. Overall, though, text and art feel somewhat formulaic and likely will tempt only devotees of the series. The final page of the book (after Daddysaurus is caught with love) has a space for readers to write a note or draw a picture of their own Daddysaurus. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
This frenetic ode to fatherhood is predictable fare but may please series fans. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-72826-618-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
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