Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-From her apartment window, a young girl gazes out at an empty lot and wishes it could be transformed. In her sketchbook she draws her vision, complete with slides, swings, monkey bars, and trampolines. When a man with measuring tape and a clipboard arrives, she enthuses, "You're here to build the playground, aren't you? .I just knew you would come." The character is inspired by the real-life example of the driving force behind the first playground built by the nonprofit organization KaBOOM!. As project manager, the narrator works side by side with Darrell Hammond, KaBOOM!'s founder, and a crew of volunteers. The digital illustrations show the evolution of the project, from childlike stick drawings to workers digging holes and cutting wood, and, finally, the completed playground. The story is thin on details, but it captures the child's excitement and could spark discussions on community engagement and teamwork.-Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
A little girl dreams of building the perfect playground in her urban neighborhood. One day a community organizer shows up to do just that; after showing him her ideas, he makes the girl "project manager." The author's note explains that the uplifting (if idealized) story is based on a real project by KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit organization. Sunny digital illustrations underscore the sense of community. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
An unnamed young girl tells readers how the empty lot down the street from her urban apartment became her dream playgroundand the part she played in its unfolding. Becker traces the beginnings of a city playground to a young girl who spends every afternoon drawing pictures of her dream playground. Encouraged by her mother to "[n]ever stop dreaming," she is unsurprised but thrilled to see a man arrive at the lot with a measuring tape and clipboardshe knows he is there to build her playground. Grabbing her drawings, she approaches him, and so begins a business relationship, with her serving as the project manager. Darell consults her on every aspect of the playground's design, and after months of planning, the whole community, the young girl included, comes together as volunteers to make the dream playground a reality. Henry's digital illustrations have the look and feel of watercolors, and the pages of the young girl's drawings are charmingly childlike in their detail, execution and use of imagination. An author's note tells of the real-life little girl who inspired this story. For those who want to take a more active role in making their dreams a reality, nonprofit KaBOOM! has a website for communities to plan, fundraise and build their own playgrounds. This book may inspire more than dreams. (Picture book. 4-8)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
