Children's Country Life Books Archives -

Picture Book Review – Snow Horses: A First Night Story

SNOW HORSES:
A FIRST NIGHT STORY

Written by Patricia MacLachlan

Illustrated by Micha Archer

(Margaret K. McElderry Books; $18.99, Ages 4-8)

★Starred Reviews – Booklist, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly

Visit an enchanting snow-covered country town in Snow Horses: A First Night Story written by late Newberry Medal-winning author, Patricia MacLachlan and illustrated by Caldecott Honor-winning artist, Micha Archer but be sure to have a hot drink at hand while cozy under a blanket.

Snow Horses int1 snowy country landscape — Interior spread from Snow Horses: A First Night Story written by Patricia MacLachlan and illustrated by Micha Archer, Margaret K. McElderry Books ©2022.

As you turn the pages you’ll be treated to MacLachlan’s lyrical prose that set an anticipatory tone for the once-a-year celebration of First Night on December 31st. This lovely non-religious but spirited holiday is an inclusive one where communities come together outdoors to joyfully ring in the new year. In this gently flowing 40-paged picture book, a young girl, Jenny, hitches her two midnight black Percheron horses, Tim and Tom, to the lighted sleigh then heads off to pick up young friends and neighbors.

The mood is a happy one as evidenced in the cheerful artwork “rendered in collage with homemade papers and inks.” Archer’s doily-covered trees and mesh drapes are fantastic as are the lamplights glowing!

Snow Horses int2 sheep horses inside barn — Interior art from Snow Horses: A First Night Story written by Patricia MacLachlan and illustrated by Micha Archer, Margaret K. McElderry Books ©2022.

Early on a “little golden dog” starts to run alongside the happy horses—”They love the snow. They love their work” —and it continues to stick close by the entire journey.

Each new scene brings the sleigh to new people and places like a thread weaving all the characters of the story together, creating a community quilt. Tom and Tim gather up grandmothers and grandfathers, aunts and uncles at the seniors’ home for a ride full of heart that takes them back in time to their youth. And when the night’s festivities end, everyone heads home to sleep, filled with the joy of the evening’s celebration and the promise of a bright new year upon waking. Remember to remove the dust cover to reveal the beautiful second design below.

Reviewed by Ronna Mandel

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Picture Book Review – Look and Listen

July 28, 2022
goodreadswithronna
Ages 4-8, Bugs & Insects, Children's Book Reviews, Children's Books > Science, Concepts, Environment & Ecology, Juvenile Fiction, Nature, Science Studies, Sounds, STEM

LOOK AND LISTEN

Written by Dianne White

Illustrated by Amy Schimler-Safford

(Holiday House; $18.99; Ages 4-8)

★Starred Review – School Library Journaltar

From the Publisher: “In this exciting guessing game for budding nature lovers, a child takes a walk to explore the sights and sounds in a garden, across a meadow, and along a brook … Dianne White’s playful text is paired with the vibrant collage artwork of Amy Schimler-Safford.”

Look and Listen int1 garden — Interior spread from Look and Listen written by Dianne White and illustrated by Amy Schimler-Safford, Holiday House ©2022.

Dianne White’s simple, rhyming text introduces young readers to the colors and sounds of creatures that live in each ecosystem using a riddle-like structure that invites page turns. At the same time, Amy Schimler-Safford’s gorgeous, collage-style art encourages little eyes to seek and find the hiding creature …

Look and Listen int2 sunflowers — Interior spread from Look and Listen written by Dianne White and illustrated by Amy Schimler-Safford, Holiday House ©2022.

making this a truly interactive and enjoyable reading experience.

Look and Listen int3 bee — Interior art from Look and Listen written by Dianne White and illustrated by Amy Schimler-Safford, Holiday House ©2022.

Accessible backmatter in Look and Listen offers readers and/or teachers more information about the habitats and animals highlighted in the book. This radiant picture book inspiring all five senses would make a great read-aloud for preschool classrooms to use just before a nature walk or trip to a National Park.

Reviewed by Roxanne Troup

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Picture Book Review – The Wall and the Wild Blog Tour

September 16, 2021
goodreadswithronna
Ages 4-8, Children's Book Reviews, Gardening, Juvenile Fiction, Nature & The Natural World

THE WALL AND THE WILD

Written by Christina Dendy

Illustrated by Katie Rewse

(Lantana Publishing; $17.99, Ages 4-8)

Welcome to Day Four of The Wall and the Wild Blog Tour!

Scroll up or down for the full tour graphic.

The Wall and the Wild, the debut picture book from Christina Dendy with vibrant art by Katie Rewse is in its own lovely way, a call of the wild. Lured in by the cover illustration, I was beckoned on by the gratifying marriage of language and illustrations.

As the story opens, readers see a treetop view of a young girl, Ana, creating a garden. However, she’s overly picky about what she selects. There can be no flaws in what seeds she plants and her face shows when she is dissatisfied. “YOU, stay out THERE” Ana warns the disorderly WILD which, like nature, is really all around her. What doesn’t appear perfect she “throws into the untidy WILD.” With the WILD presented early on by Dendy as a character, my curiosity was piqued.

The Wall and the Wild int Page 03 — Interior spread from The Wall and the Wild written by Christina Dendy and illustrated by Katie Rewse, Lantana Publishing ©2021.

Intent on keeping her plot pristine, Ana constructs a stone wall, and soon her garden bursts with color and an abundance of beautiful flowers, fruits, and vegetables. Not only do friends come by to admire Ana’s garden, but so do creatures big and small. This feast for the eyes might please others, but Ana seems to only focus on the negative. I love how the author has added another important layer for children in this story about how limiting perfectionism can be. Ana finds and plucks plant intruders from the WILD whose presence mars the overall neat appearance. These weeds weren’t something Ana could tolerate. So, once again, along with more imperfect seeds, she tosses them all away.

The Wall and the Wild int Page 06 — Interior art from The Wall and the Wild written by Christina Dendy and illustrated by Katie Rewse, Lantana Publishing ©2021.

Now Ana is more determined than ever. She adds onto her stone wall to prevent the WILD from coming in. Yet, rather than thrive in these conditions, Ana’s perfectly tidy garden seems to wither. The illustrations convey a quality of dullness. When visitors dwindle along with the plants’ health, Ana begins to question her intentions. Perhaps she was too controlling? Maybe it’s time to see what’s out in the WILD where all her discards have gone. “On the other side, voices babble, footsteps patter, and sunlight beams.” There’s a lightness to the prose and a hint at what’s to come.

The Wall and the Wild int Page 11 — Interior art from The Wall and the Wild written by Christina Dendy and illustrated by Katie Rewse, Lantana Publishing ©2021.

To her surprise, a world of remarkable beauty awaits Ana beyond her wall. Here I grew excited to see Ana grow along with the WILD garden that’s flourished in spite of her efforts to thwart it. Seeing her realize that, as Dendy mentions in her back matter on ecosystems, “Seeds don’t need to look the same or ‘perfect’ to grow into perfectly beautiful, healthy plants,” is a rewarding moment in the story.

This lovely message of caring for all and how there’s room for everyone at the table or in the garden is as rich as the soil that Ana first tended. Something I missed on the first reading, but noted later on and truly appreciated as someone coming from a family with hearing loss is that Rewse has included the main character wearing hearing aids in her art. I can easily see this charming picture book included in classrooms’ STEM curriculums and as a great way to encourage outdoor, nature-based learning.

Reviewed by Ronna Mandel

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This Is How We Do It by Matt Lamothe

January 22, 2018
goodreadswithronna
Ages 5-8, Children's Book Reviews, City Life, Country Life, Culture and Customs, Education & Reference, Explore the World, Geography & Cultures, Juvenile Nonfiction

THIS IS HOW WE DO IT:
One Day in The Lives of Seven Kids From Around the World
Written and illustrated by Matt Lamothe
(Chronicle Books; $17.99, Ages 5-8)

★ Starred reviews – Booklist, Horn Books
Included on Smithsonian Ten Best Children’s Books of 2017

“From Breakfast to Bedtime, Spend the Day with Seven Children around the world …”

Meet Romeo (Italy), Kei (Japan), Daphine (Uganda), Oleg (Russia), Ananya (India), Ribaldo (Peru), and Kian (Iran). Read Lamothe’s This Is How We Do It and spend a day with each of these real children and their families to see how their day compares to yours.

A map of the world on the end pages depicts each child and where each child and his or her family lives. The book consists of several attractive and well laid out thematic sections. Each three to four page section introduces the reader to the children from “This is Me” to “This is How We Learn” and “This is How I Help.” On each page, separate panels depict the activities of each child. Other sections include information on what children eat for breakfast and lunch, how they spell their name, and what they do after school.

Each child’s in this book’s close knit family unit consists of a father and mother and siblings. As happens with many families, there are a few challenges. Ribaldo does his homework by flashlight and sleeps on wood planks padded by three blankets. Daphine’s walk to school takes thirty minutes and she sits in a class with 68 other students. Some of the families live in homes or apartments in large urban centers, but a few live in small villages in homes made of wood and mud. The upbeat tone and the love and happiness seen in the family photographs may be reassuring to young children whose families are facing their own challenges.

Meal times are interesting and show the great diversity of food and dinner times, while most eat an early evening meal, Daphine’s family eats at 10 p.m. Nevertheless, what will be so familiar and relatable to American children will be the illustrations of the seven families seated around a table and sharing a meal and doing after-dinner activities such as homework, playing board games, watching TV, hobbies, and, of course, reading.

The final spread,”This is My Night Sky,” presents a full moon against a backdrop of twinkling stars, a type of sky seen by children all over the world. The last pages show photos of the actual children and their families and include a glossary and a brief note on how the author collaborated with the families in putting this book together. This Is How We Do It is a fascinating book which can be used at home or in the classroom to help children build global awareness and discover that they share much in common with other children all over the world.

See pages from the book and learn more about the author/illustrator here. Visit the publisher’s website to see a book trailer and download the free activity guide which helps young children gain a deeper understanding of the book and includes some very cool ideas!