Review by New York Times Review
It must be something about their steady, gentle hugeness: Elephants are especially beloved by the smallest children. The versatile, ever-perceptive Henkes has created a beguiling book of pastel-colored pachyderms, outlined in thick, pleasingly rough black lines. They look lively, yet extremely squeezable, as they march across the pages. He also sneaks in several toddler-ready concepts. The happy creatures demonstrate counting, a few apropos opposites like "over" and "under," a dash of wondrous nighttime magic in the form of a shower of stars, and then - as always, parents will bless his name - the joy of settling down serenely to sleep after a full day. 40 pp. Greenwillow. $18.99. Ages 2 to 5. THE VISITOR Written and illustrated by Antje Damm. Translated by Sally-Ann Spencer. A shut-in, neatnik woman named Elise lives alone and shuns company, until "something unbelievable" happens - a paper plane flies in her window, followed by a boy knocking at her door. Warm connection ensues. What makes it striking is Damm's nifty, expressive art, photographs of dioramas and cutout painted figures. Dressed in red and yellow, the boy, Emil, brings color to Elise's gray world. She makes her own paper plane, and the dazzling last page needs no words: We see inside her now colorful home, but she's not there. 32 pp. Gecko. $17.99. Ages 3 to 5. A VERY LATE STORY Written and illustrated by Marianna Coppo Meta picture books, in which characters know (or find out) they're in a book, can be overbearing, but this one brings a light, clever touch to the conceit. Five small, silly, delicately drawn animals wander across blank pages, unsure why they're there. Soon they realize they must wait for the story to arrive - how irritating. As they wait, a tree grows, adding new characters and new delights to the sea of white. By the time a stork brings the story, they realize they've got their own already, creating a head-spinning yet easygoing lesson in finding your own voice, and your own fun. 48 pp. Flying Eye. $17.95. Ages 3 to 7. NIGHT JOB By Karen Hesse. Illustrated by G. Brian Karas. The premise is simple - a boy recounts how he goes with Dad on Friday nights to his job cleaning a school - but Hesse, a Newbery Medal winner, and Karas create an atmosphere of hushed fascination as we follow the pair through the long night. They leave home on a motorcycle; Dad opens the school door with a ring of keys "as big as the rising moon." Karas's dusky paneled art gives a feel of enchantment and adventure as the boy sweeps floors, shoots hoops, reads and falls asleep while Dad finishes working. He's added an extraordinary dignity and tenderness to this picture of working-parent reality and a loving, physically close father-son bond. 32 pp. Candlewick. $16.99. Ages 4 to 8. GROW UF> DAVID! Written and illustrated by David Shannon With its likably mischievous hero who can't slow down, Shannon's Caldecott Honor-winning "No, David!" is 20 years old. This welcome fifth David book is a portrait of our hero as a pesky younger brother, his M.O. captured as always in Shannon's wavery, high-energy art. A fresh sibling complaint is on every spread ("Thanks a lot, David!," "Give it back, David!"), accompanied by a colorful littlekid's-eye view of the damage done. The final rapprochement is surprisingly moving: Brothers are in it for the long haul, and even whirlwind David will, little by little, grow up. 32 pp. Blue Sky Press. $17.99. Ages 3 to 7. THE PATCHWORK BIKE By Maxine Beneba Clarke. Illustrated byVan Thanh Rudd. The children in this exuberant book from an Australian writer and artist live in a "mud for walls" house on the edge of the "no-go desert," and they've made an excellent bike out of random parts. Clarke's poetically compressed language hurtles joyfully along, while Rudd's illustrations, made on cardboard boxes with spirited swaths of paint, burst with irrepressible life. Dreaming and building, we see, go hand in hand no matter where you live. 40 pp. Candlewick. $15.99. Ages 4 to 8. P IS FOR PTERODACTYL: THE WORST ALPHABET BOOK EVER By Raj Haidar and Chris Carpenter. Illustrated by Maria Beddia. You can curse the English language for its insane spelling rules (or lack thereof), or you can delight in it, as this raucous trip through the odd corners of our alphabet does. Haidar - better known as the rapper Lushlife - and Carpenter celebrate "Heir" and "Tsunami," adding brainteasers like "R is not for Are' " for good measure. Beddia's art adds a cartoony touch. 40 pp. Sourcebooks. $17.99. Ages 7 to 12. MY BEIJING: FOUR STORIES OF EVERYDAY WONDER Written and illustrated by Nie Jun. Translated by Edward Gauvin. This delectable graphic story collection gives a taste of the everyday life of kids in China, kicked up with a clever time-travel element. A girl named Yu'er, who has a disability that limits her walking, and the grandfather who cares for her live simply, but their days are filled with both resourcefulness and amazement. The stories move gracefully between reality and fantasy, a bit like Miyazaki movies, but sweeter. MARIA RUSSO is the children's books editor of the Book Review.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [October 31, 2018]
Review by Booklist Review
Look! Elephants! With that simple direction, Henkes captures the youngest storytime audience members, focuses their attention, and proceeds to take them on a charm-filled adventure. As just one element of the masterful book design, the first spread includes counting and graphing as it introduces the elephant group. Simple repetitive text describes the elephants' activities, demonstrating a variety of prepositions. All of that marching tires out the elephants, who then stretch and yawn as they prepare to sleep. A play on words leads readers to investigate multiple meanings of parade and trumpet. An unexpected touch of magic at the end brings the tale to a satisfying conclusion. Although the color palette is similar to the one he used in Egg (2017), this time Henkes uses denser, more saturated gouache, perhaps to give the elephants a bit more heft. With little more than well-placed dots and lines, Henkes conveys the elephants' emotions and sense of accomplishment as the day turns to night. Well-executed and appealing, this book is a useful addition to preschool collections. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Henkes is a household name, and that's enough to boost demand for his latest.--Whitehurst, Lucinda Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
"Look! Elephants!" Henkes announces. And here they come, five in all: blue, yellow, purple, green, with a little pink one bringing up the rear. These elephants aren't up to any hijinks or even peanut-eating-they do one thing: march. For much of the book, Henkes arranges the elephants' simple shapes (they have few details beyond expressive eyes and a dash of texturing) into lines of action that demonstrate concepts, from counting to spatial ideas (up, down, in, out) and wordplay: "Big and round and round they are. Big and round and round they go." The characters may be single-minded, but there's a sense of energy on every page, leading up to the final spreads, which show the elephants "scattering stars across the sky" via collective bedtime trumpet. With clear, bold type sized for puzzling out letters, this spare offering will appeal to preschoolers who, like the elephants, are settling down into starry sleep. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-Caldecott winner and fan favorite Henkes is back with a delightful new picture book. "Hooray! The elephants are here." A parade of five round elephants. They march and march all day. They march up and down, in and out, over and under, all around town, and they don't stop until the day is through. But before their day is done, they have one last thing to do: they lift their trunks and scatter a blanket of stars across the night sky. The elephants are ready for bed, and so are viewers. Henkes's images are just as integral as the spare text. Done in a light, pastel palette, the five whimsical and expressive elephants speak for themselves as they march from page to page. Repetition of words and phrases in large, bold font make this a wonderful choice for new readers, but the story is simple enough for the younger set. VERDICT A must-purchase for all libraries. Recommended to be shared with a group or read one-on-one at bedtime.-Elizabeth Blake, Brooklyn Public Library © Copyright 2018. 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
Look! Elephants! / One, two, three, four, five. / Five elephants. / Marching. / A parade of elephants! The sturdy walkers, each rendered in a pastel color with a thick brown outline, stay in the same order throughout: blue first, then yellow, violet, green, and, finally, a smaller pink elephant. Subtle changes in body position and eye shape reveal a joyful sense of purpose during each of their activities. As the elephants arrange themselves across each double-page spread, counting gives way to prepositions while they march over, under, up, down, and around, always proud and purposeful. Bold panel arrangements reveal the group steadfastly on the go until, when day is done, we learn that one special task remains: Before they sleep / they lift their trunks / and they trumpet / scattering stars across the sky. Small stars rising from the five upturned trunks break a panel border for the first time. The last page-turn shows all five creatures asleep under a sky full of stars: Good night. With A Parade of Elephants Henkes (Egg, rev. 1/17, and many others) again displays his understanding of preschoolers: hungry for new information and experiences but also needing a framework of solidity and comfort. This combination of concept book, pourquoi tale, and bedtime storystripped of all unnecessary flourishesis simply perfect. lolly Robinson (c) Copyright 2018. 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
Henkes' latest tale for preschoolers focuses on five elephants whose daylong march provides opportunities for counting and exploring opposites."Look! / Elephants! // One, / two, / three, / four, / five." A clear grid places the corresponding number of elephants to the right of each number. This parade (a collective noun for a group or herd of elephants) travels up and down hills, over a bridge above jumping fish, under palm trees, and in and out of a cave. Thick lines of brown ink contour the simple shapes, and a different pastel color distinguishes each elephant. (The first and largest elephant is blue; the fifth elephant, who marches last, is small and pink.) The pared-down narrative, delivered handsomely on thick, creamy paper in 46-point Futura Medium, is wryly funny: "They march all day. // And when the day is done, / they are done, too." After the elephants yawn and stretch, "they lift their trunks // and they trumpet / scattering stars across the sky." This lovely metaphor is humorously extended visually, as each elephant's trunk seems to spew a burst of five-pointed stars upward. (The little elephant manages five.) Then: "Good night." The elephants lie in a cozy huddle below the stars, signaling bedtime for sleepy kids, too. Brown endpapers bracket the story's simple arc: butterflies and the sun at the start; the moon and stars to end it.A muted palette and uncluttered yet nuanced compositions distinguish yet another winsome title from Henkes. Toddlers and grown-upssnuggle up and enjoy. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
