For the youngest of listeners, the themes found in The Little Engine that Could continue to inspire. Former U.S. Olympic figure-skater Yamaguchi has penned a new version, complete with American Idol flash and glamour. Poppy the little pig, fully done up in all tutus, bare shoulders and high heels, reaches for stardom in talent-search competitions for ballet, singing and even modeling. The illustrations capture the disdain of the judges and competitors, especially the tall and slinky feline model’s. The “people in charge” (all depicted as animals in Bowers’ humorous, workmanlike illustrations) keep telling Poppy, “This is not for you.” With each stumble, her glittering smile turns south. But every star needs adoring fans, who turn out in spades for this fame-driven pig. The encouragement of mother, grandparents and friend is not forgotten as Poppy ends up on an ice-skating rink in (groan-inducing) New Pork City. The white space on many of the pages may foretell the ice rink to come, with thought bubbles transforming into successful swirls on ice. Wearing sensible clothing and with the support of a friend, Poppy’s determination takes hold, and that makes all the difference. A sincere thank you from Yamaguchi to her family and fans, it’s lacking in both captivating plotting and illustration. As celebrity books go, though, it's a cut above many, and the prose styling is refreshingly restrained. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: March 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4022-5275-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
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