Review by New York Times Review
There's no children's book creator quite like Willems, and no book quite like this one. Designed as a gag instruction manual for the ride a baby is about to take through life - "There will be music," but also "tears of sadness" - it's for all ages, especially pre-verbal infants in those days when parents wonder if words are even registering. (They are. This book's witty, graphic icons will, too.) The humor cloaks wise and reassuring words that give parents subtle cues, like a recurring reminder of all that happens "while we read this book together." NOW Written and Illustrated by Antoinette Portls. 32 pp. Neal Porter/Roaring Brook. $17.99. (Picture book; ages 3 to 7) "Now" offers a child's-eye view of living fully in each moment: On every page a swingy-haired girl declares something a favorite. Whatever it is happens to be the focus of her current attention. "That is my favorite cloud," she says, "because it's the one I am watching." Portis's ("Not a Box") words and art are both delightfully bold yet controlled. Her thick, black brush strokes slash across white expanses, and she adds washes of interesting color combinations. This book's profundity might sneak up on you, but it will leave you marveling. LIFE By Cynthia Rylant. Illustrated by Brendan Wenzel. 48 pp. Beach Lane. $17.99. (Picture book; ages 4 and up) "Life begins small," then it grows. That simple idea begins and ends this lovely, spare tribute to being alive, despite the inevitable rough times. Rylant, a Newbery Medal winner ("Missing May"), gleans advice for navigating rockier paths from animals like hawks, camels and turtles, who know "everything is changing" but still greet each day eagerly. Wenzel's ("They All Saw a Cat") twinkling landscapes and charming wildlife capture a mood both intimate and grand. The effect is as calming and heart-opening as a folk song. MR. BENJAMIN'S SUITCASE OF SECRETS Written and Illustrated by Pel-Yu Chang. 48 pp. NorthSouth. $18.95. (Picture book; ages 5 and up) Maybe you doubt that the tragic death of the German Jewish philosopher Walter Benjamin as he crossed the Pyrenees trying to escape the Nazis would make for a good picture book. Let me reassure you: Chang's playful telling is attuned to children's sense of justice, as well as their ear for the ridiculous. She focuses on the heroism of Lisa Fittko, who led refugees to Spain, and on the never-solved mystery of what was inside the suitcase Benjamin lugged with him. Her stunning mixed-media art is whimsical and serious, like childhood itself. QUESTIONS ASKED By Josteln Gaarder. Illustrated by Akin Duzakln. Translated by Don Bartlett. Elsewhere. $14. (Picture book; ages 5 and up) This gem by the Norwegian novelist Gaarder, with sweet, spectral art by the Turkish-Norwegian illustrator Duzakin, is a simple list of big questions all of us would do well to ask about life and how best to live it. As the topics flit around delightfully, it avoids being either heavyhanded or precious. "Can anyone do real magic tricks? Do miracles happen sometimes?" one page asks. Any of these could spur a deep conversation with a curious kid - or adult. "Are experiences more real when I'm awake than when I'm dreaming?" Good question. See an expanded visual presentation of this week's column at nytimes.com/books.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [July 30, 2017]
Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* In this lovely picture book about everyday moments worth cherishing, a young girl shares some of her favorite things: This is my favorite breeze. / This is my favorite leaf. / This is my favorite hole because it's the one I am digging. Relishing the present, she shares experiences that may appear inconsequential to some, but to her, each circumstance is deeply special. Her favorite things include singing, watching the clouds, playing in the rain, and smelling a flower, all culminating in spending storytime in her mother's lap. With a comforting refrain and plenty of familiar scenes, this pleasant, warm story of mindfulness and small joys will resonate with lots of little ones. Portis' graceful, straightforward lines are the perfect complement to her bold, richly hued illustrations. Thick, ink-brushed outlines make her genial figures stand out sharply against the simple backgrounds, and the variety of facial expressions effortlessly communicates the young girl's carefree happiness. While the story itself is simple, just like the moments the little girl values, Portis' picture book contains Zen-like depth, and she taps into a uniquely childlike kind of wonder about the world. Cozy and subtly profound, this is perfect for one-on-one sharing.--Lock, Anita Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Portis (Best Frints in the Whole Universe) writes in the voice of a girl who knows what it means to live in the moment. "This is my favorite breeze," she says, her eyes closed with delight. "This is my favorite leaf," she continues as Portis shows her in closeup, peeping over the edge of a brilliant red leaf. She looks as if she's in the countryside, but she might be in a city park. "This is my favorite hole (this one) because it's the one I am digging," she explains, from deep in the sand. The girl's freedom from supervision, schedules, and electronic devices are unspoken pleasures. Portis's bold black outlines and swashes of muted color show a girl who's strong and independent. "And this is my favorite now, because it's the one I am having with you," the girl finishes, as she reads a book on her mother's lap. Portis invites children to ask themselves what gives them joy, making it clear that favorite things needn't be logical, and can be simple, silly, and fleeting. Ages 3-6. Agent: Deborah Warren, East West Literary. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-A young girl names all her favorite things as she joyfully lives out her days. "This is my favorite mud, my favorite rain." Other treasured objects include a worm and a paper boat. Mostly, the girl loves these things because they are what she is experiencing in the moment. For example, of the several holes she's dug, her favorite is "the one [she] is digging" now. Her favorite cloud is the one she's watching. But the child's favorite "now" of all is the one she is enjoying as she reads a book with her mom. Depicted in flat paintings outlined in thick ink and digitally colored, the illustrations sometimes depict just parts of the narrator. For instance, only her legs and feet are shown as they squelch in her favorite mud. Just her hands reach up from the bottom of the page, revealing her favorite worm. A striking, larger-than-life image in a spread (and on the cover) shows the girl holding a red leaf in front of her face. Portis uses color brilliantly, matching the youngster's clothing to the scenes and objects around her: the pale blue of the wind echoed in her skirt and top, brown striped pants above mud-covered feet, two-toned green shirt and pants matching the two shades of her favorite tree. VERDICT This childlike ode to the delights of living each moment to the fullest is an absolute charmer and, like Portis's Wait, may even encourage adults to notice and relish the world around them. An essential purchase for group and individual sharing.-Marianne Saccardi, Children's Literature Consultant, Cambridge, MA © Copyright 2017. 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 natural follow-up to Portiss Wait (rev. 7/15), about a woman in a rush and the child who reminds her to stop and smell the roses, Now is an affirmation of the present and its many wonders. It opens with a young girl, eyes closed and arms raised toward the sky, declaring, This is my favorite breeze, as a refreshing wind washes over her. The book continues with a string of celebratory declarations--This is my favorite leaf; This is my favorite mud--with Portiss vibrant colors brightening each page. Her expressive use of ink adds a particular energy to the illustrations: a bold swooping brush stroke becomes a favorite tree branch; undulating waves of blue become a stream of rainwater; and quirky yellow birds are brought to life with a few deft brush strokes. The main character is not celebrating the things themselves, however, but the experience of them: its her favorite cloud because its the one I am watching; its her favorite song because its the one I am singing. The focus is always on being mindful of and appreciating the moment. The story comes to a fitting conclusion as the girl, sitting on her mothers lap reading together, asserts that this is my favorite now because its the one Im having with you, drawing the reader in with the narrative equivalent of a warm embrace. Thoughtful without being preachy and meditative without being boring, Now should prove to be a favorite for today--and well into the future. minh l (c) Copyright 2017. 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
A young girl lives in the moment, her mindfulness of the world distilled into a list of favorite things whose ephemerality she celebrates now. Running barefoot in the grass, a cinnamon-complexioned girl meets the breeze with open arms. Readers are swept up by the girl's joy as the text exclaims, "This is my favorite breeze." With the same enthusiasm, she shares a burnished red leaf, a puddle of mud, and a flower's scent. For this auburn-haired child, the natural world is full of wonder and beauty; and nothing is so gratifying as what is being done now. Repetition of the simple sentence structure makes for a perfect read-along as the author creates a lovely rhythm layered with meaning. When the girl's list moves from outside to inside, a similar progression is made from the external world to the internal. The pajama-clad girl hugs her cat, stares up at the moon, and reads a book with her caregiver. What seems to have been a collection of simple thoughts now leads to a profound revelationthat the child fully appreciates this time with her loved one. Text and art enhance each other, both like an East Asian sumi-e painting: deceivingly simple but highly sophisticated, every mark with meaning and purpose. Portis perfectly captures how children experience the world, the immediacy and magic of it all; exuberant and quiet, simple and complex, and extremely satisfying. (Picture book. 2-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
