Review by New York Times Review
A boy and his dog head to the moon, a crab bakes cakes, a cat foils a bakery break-in: These books send imaginations soaring. ONE IS A PIÑATA Written by Roseanne Greenfield Thong. Illustrated by John Parra. Thong and Parra have explored shapes ("Round Is a Tortilla") and colors ("Green Is a Chile Pepper") with adorable bilingual flair, and this take on the numbers one to 10 is just as appealing. Each object is named in Spanish, with surrounding text in English ("six flavored aguas to quench our thirst"), while Parra's folk-art illustrations give visual clues to scenes from Latino life. Each friendly page beckons - to find stuff to count, or just to imagine lying on the beach under one of the five palapas. 32 pp. Chronicle. $16.99. (Ages 3 to 5) THERE ARE NO BEARS IN THIS BAKERY Written and illustrated by Julia SarconeRoach. A protective tabby named Muffin, a shop called Little Bear Bakery, a nighttime intruder. Is it a giant mouse? Or... a baby bear, helping herself to the goodies? Muffin is on the case. Sarcone-Roach ("The Bear Ate Your Sandwich") draws her audience in with I'm-the-boss cat humor and expressive mixed-media art in shades of blue and orange, perfectly capturing moods ranging from a terrified kitty ("I was smooshed, like a muffin between the couch cushions") to a satisfying bear hug. This delightful caper calls out for multiple readings. 32 pp. Knopf. $17.99. (Ages 4 to 8) TEN RULES OF THE BIRTHDAY WISH Written by Beth Ferry. Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld. Admit it, that annual wish you make before blowing out the candles is a huge deal. This antic step-by-step guide at first plays it for laughs, pulling in dinosaurs, rhinos, penguins and many more creatures to sow amusing chaos. Dogs howl the birthday song off-key, and puffer fish are warned not to take a big breath. But the always vibrant Lichtenheld and Ferry turn sweetly serious for the moment we've been waiting for, with a gentle reminder: "Don't forget that wish ends in 'shhhhhh.' " 40 pp. Putnam. $17.99. (Ages 4 to 8) GOOD BOY Written and illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier. This latest from Ruzzier (the Fox & Chick books) has just one or two words per page. But with lovely art that turns effortlessly surreal, that's all it takes to tell a clever, comical story of a truly mutual relationship. A boy and his dog, whose coat is the same shade of yellow as the boy's hair, practice canine training commands like "Sit" and "Jump" that soon morph into wondrous feats like "Cook." Before you know it, the devoted pair are off on an outer-space adventure. 40 pp. Atheneum. $15.99. (Ages 4 to 8) WHAT IS GIVEN FROM THE HEART Written by Patricia C. McKissack. Illustrated by April Harrison. In this exquisite story of generosity from the beloved McKissack, who died in 2017, a little boy named James Otis and his mama have fallen on hard times after his father's death. But they keep their spirits up, focusing on a request by their minister to add to a "love box" for a family that lost everything in a fire. Harrison has created soft yet dazzling illustrations for this tribute to faith, hope and the African-American community 32 pp. Schwartz & Wade. $17.99. (Ages 4 to 8) THE NEIGHBORS Written and illustrated by Einat Tsarfati. Translated by Annette Appel. All apartment buildings contain tantalizing mysteries, and the red-haired girl who narrates this zany treat tells what's behind each door in hers: a tiger, a vampire, a family that "celebrates someone's birthday at least once a week." Tsarfati ("An After Bedtime Story") balances visual extravagance with sneaky insight into how kids think of home. 40 pp. Abrams. $16.99. (Ages 4 to 8) CRAB CAKE Written and illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi. The sea creatures who populate Tsurumi's underwater idyll live harmoniously, yet each does its own thing, including Crab, who bakes cakes. But when someone dumps trash into their home, the psychedelic colors darken. What to do? The eco-friendly lesson goes down easy as "everybody comes together," pitching in to haul the trash away, with another cake from Crab waiting at the end. 40 pp. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. $17.99. (Ages 4 to 8) CICADA Written and illustrated by Shaun Tan. Like all Tan's genre-defying books, this one vibrates with profound questions about how we choose to live and how we treat one another. A gray-suited cicada is an office drone, insulted and underpaid by the humans; he lives in an office wall space. After 17 years, he's shown the door. Despondent, he seems about to jump from the roof, but instead sheds the suit and becomes dozens of bright red insects, flying away to freedom. 32 pp. Arthur A. Levine. $19.99. (Ages 12 and up) MARIA RUSSO is the children's books editor of the Book Review.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [June 30, 2019]
Review by Booklist Review
From the writer and illustrator of Stick and Stone (2015), this picture book sets out the ground rules for an enduring ritual that begins in early childhood: making a birthday wish. Can there possibly be 10 rules? Why, yes: (1) Sometime near your birthday, (2) at a party, (3) with a dessert (quite possibly cake), (4) a candle is lit and (5) a song is sung. (6) Close your eyes, (7) take a deep breath, (8) make a wish, (9) blow out the flame with one breath, and, finally, (10) keep your wish a secret. While that may sound straightforward, Ferry ingeniously comes up with exceptions and amendments as she considers various silly scenarios that involve beasts, birds, bugs, and sea creatures attempting to follow the traditional birthday rules. Meanwhile, Lichtenheld illustrates the scenes with endearing animal characters and plenty of humor. The large-scale pictures show up very well from a distance, making this picture book a natural for sharing with groups of children. A treat that will make any birthday (or storytime) a little happier.--Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2019 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A series of animals demonstrate how to observe a birthday properly through 10 rules in this tale by the creators of Stick and Stone. Yet it immediately-and amusingly-becomes clear that every rule has exceptions. "It must be your birthday" and "your age should have increased by one," doesn't apply to certain creatures: "If your life cycle is a month or a week or sniff, sniff, only a single day, please celebrate immediately!" A party is necessary and balloons suggested unless "you are a rhinoceros, a swordfish, a sea urchin, or pointy in any way." "Combining rules" is okay, too, so "If you are a frog, consider using fireflies as your candles AND your dessert." Lichtenheld's exuberant mixed-media illustrations offer all the fun of a birthday fete, and images of cartoon critters partying in their own way (an aloof moose blows bubbles on the back of an elephant) fortify Ferry's droll message that there are no intractable rules for celebration. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Elena Giovinazzo, Pippin Properties. Illustrator's agent: Amy Rennert, Amy Rennert Agency. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-Every child longs for their birthday and spends hours dreaming about the big day, and the rules in this joyful book will feel completely familiar to many ("Rule no. 2: You must have a PARTY!"; "Rule no. 8: You must make a Wish"). Children will especially love reading and rereading this book to laugh about the exceptions to the 10 birthday rules and to point out fun details of Lichtenheld's anthropomorphic animal drawings. Every birthday rule has at least one exception, and each one is silly, charming, or both. For example, food, streamers, confetti, and balloons are great for a party unless you are an animal that is "pointy in any way." If so, author Ferry observes that these animals might want to "skip the balloons," and Lichtenheld's illustrations of a rhino, swordfish, and sea urchin all popping balloons are wonderful, as are their short apologetic commentaries ("oopsie," "sorry," "my bad"). Along with the rules and the humorous exceptions, the story has a pervading sweetness, reminding grown-ups to cherish the days of birthday wishes and to celebrate the optimism and hopefulness of young children. VERDICT This celebratory book will appeal to children and parents alike-a wonderful read-aloud for any time of year.-Sally James, South Hillsborough Elementary School, CA © Copyright 2019. 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
Theres no shortage of picture books about birthdays (see 2018 Boston GlobeHorn Book honoree Whens My Birthday?, rev. 9/17, for a recent recommendation), but Ferry and Lichtenheld focus on one particular element: the birthday wish. The team behind Stick and Stone (rev. 3/15) presents ten rules to guide readers and listeners when making that all-important wish. It must be your birthdayYou must have a partyThere must be singing. If it all sounds a little dull and prescriptive, dont worrythere are silly loopholes, caveats, and digressions throughout that should tickle both rule-followers and authority-questioners. When preparing to blow out the candles: You must take a deep breathUnless you are a puffer fish. If you are a puffer fish, definitely do NOT take a big breath, because then you will puff up and all your guests will be concerned. Lichtenhelds accompanying illustration shows a party-hat-wearing, breath-held, puffed-up puffer fish surrounded by worried undersea party guests. Its a buoyantly told tale, and the digitally enhanced pencil, watercolor, colored-pencil, and pastel illustrations featuring an all-animal cast (including a cameo by non-direction-following Moose from This Is a Moose) capture the festive mood of a party where friends are in abundance and wishes always come true. elissa gershowitz January/February 2019 p 76(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
A happy count-up to a birthday wish. The opening page proclaims, "There are, / there most definitely are, / 10 / very specific, tried and true, / and absolutely essential / Rules For The Making of / a Birthday Wish." The ensuing spreads detail these rules, all delivered in an exuberant, humorous tone, as well as exceptions and modifications to those rules. For example, the second rule instructs, "You must have a PARTY!" at which balloons are recommended dcor, unless "you are a rhinoceros, a swordfish, / a sea urchin, or pointy in any way." The accompanying illustrations show these "pointy" creatures popping said balloons with sound-effect "POP!"s and apologies of "oopsie," "sorry," and "my bad" issuing from their mouths. Every step up to and including the clever 10th rule, "Don't forget that wish' ends in / shhhhhh' / so keep your wish quiet, / silent, / hush-hush," is satisfyingly humorous and sure to gift readers with guffaws. Lichtenheld's art matches the text's humor on each spread, with anthropomorphic animal antics and a few human revelers, too. A spare moment at the sixth rule fearlessly embraces the white of the page as the text states "You must close your eyes," and art shows a sweep of lashes on either side of the gutter indicating closed eyes plus an embellishment of a flower to symbolize "something extraordinary" in a birthday wish. A gift of a book to open again and again. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
