Jarvis (3)Critiques

First sentence: Ding-dong! Bear and Bird had a big day planned. Bird was early. "I'll be out in a minute," shouted Bear from his big bed. "I haven't just woken up. I promise!"

Premise/plot: Bear and Bird is the first in a new early chapter book series. Bear and Bird are friends--dear, close friends. However, Bear and Bird have many differences. These short chapters, short stories, are interconnected--loosely. The first two stories are definitely closely related.

The stories/chapters are: "The Flower," "The Picnic," "The Painting," "The Blanket."

My thoughts: I loved, loved, loved, loved this book. The writing is WONDERFUL.

Quotes:

This is from "The Flower" chapter:

"Sorry I'm late!" said Bear. "I thought my feet would move quicker than they did."

This is from the "Picnic" chapter:

"Have you used the bathroom?" said Bird.
"Yes," said Bear.
Bear had not used the bathroom.
"Did you pack the music player?" said Bird.
"Yes," said Bear.
Bear had not packed the music player.
"And the lawn chairs?" said Bird.
"Yes," said Bear.
No lawn chairs either.
"And most importantly--have you packed the picnic?" said Bird.
There was a bit of a pause before Bear said, "Yes, I've packed the picnic."
Bear had not packed the picnic.

First sentence: Bird woke up and made herself some tea. She was thinking about the argument from the day before. She couldn't quite remember what it was about. Something to do with a spoon. Bust she knew she had fallen out with Bear and needed a new best friend.

Premise/plot: Bear and Bird are friends--best friends. This is an early chapter book for young readers. It features four stories: "The Spoon," "The Cake," "The Rock," and "The Stars." In the first story, Bear and Bird start out in the middle of a fight. Bear is looking for a new best friend. Bird is looking for a new best friend. There's an exchange of [anonymous] letters where each is seeking a new best friend... In the second story, Bird makes Bear a cake....and Bear makes something far from a cake. In "The Rock" Bear and Bird go on the search for a new cake for their tea party. Things take a twist when the "rocks" start moving. In "The Stars," Bear and Bird are reflective about the good things in life. This conversation happens when they are stargazing.

My thoughts: I absolutely love, love, love, love, LOVE this early chapter book. Bear and Bird are delightful characters. The stories are enchanting in a delightful, lovely way. I just learned that this is the second book in the series. I will definitely be checking to see if the first book is at the library.

Delightful illustrations and unexpectedly funny

First sentence: One little piggy went to market. Two little piggies had a car but couldn't park it. Three little piggies learned how to knit. Four little piggies did their best to keep fit. Five little piggies played the bongos.

Premise/plot: A counting concept board book for little ones starring pigs. The text gets sillier and sillier with every turn of the page.

My thoughts: I really LOVED this one. I thought it was silly and funny. I really loved the rhyme that went with the number nine.

Not all counting books are funny. All may help teach little ones to count to ten. But not all are packed with piggy humor.

Want a book that will make you cry? This one will!

I don't really see books that handle a child going through chemotherapy. At least that is how I interpreted this text. Oh man, seeing how the friends rallied around......there is good in the world

De jongen met bloemen in zijn haar. Tekst en tekeningen: Jarvis.

Wat een ongelooflijk mooi prentenboek! De cover is stralend, vrolijk, kleurrijk; hartveroverend mooi. De bloemen zijn niet enkel mooi om naar te kijken maar je kan ze ook voelen; wow!

De jongen met bloemen in zijn haar is prachtig qua verhaal, tekeningen en boodschap. Het is een ode aan vriendschap, creativiteit en inclusiviteit.

Het is het verhaal van een jongetje wiens beste vriend David bloemen in zijn haar heeft, waar soms zelfs vogels in wonen, iedereen is dol op hem. Tot hij op een dag op school verschijnt zonder de bloemen… Zijn beste vriendje zoekt een oplossing en komt met een creatieve remedie. Ontroerend mooi én lief.

Jarvis schreef een klein verhaaltje op een grootse manier. De schitterende, intieme, indrukwekkende tekeningen maken dit boek helemaal tot een pareltje dat je hart verovert en een glimlach op je gezicht tovert.

Aanrader. Koop 2 exemplaren: eentje om te lezen en eentje om aan de muur te hangen want de cover is om verliefd op te worden!

Little Flo is not very good at following. She likes to do her own thing, so when she had to follow Daddy Duck to Auntie Jenna’s house, she got lost. What will happen to little Flo?
This story is recommended for ages 0-5. The bright colorful illustrations are entertaining and add to the story. Part of the story is told in a simple rhyming song. The reader and the listeners can add the tune. This book fosters print awareness (different fonts), print motivation (invites participation) and phonological awareness (singing and rhyming). It would be a great addition to a duck storytime or a storytime using directional words or just for fun.

I fell in love with Jarvis' splashy art and goofy stories some time ago and although this one doesn't come up to my all-time favorite (that's a tie between Alan's big scary teeth and Hello, Hotdog) it's still a funny and delightful addition to any storytime repertoire.

Flo, a charming little yellow duckling, does NOT go with the flow. When the other little ducklings are lining up neatly and following the rules, she's chasing frogs and hiding at bedtime. One day, her patient (purple) Daddy Duck takes her on a trip but before they leave she gets a Serious Reminder about following him the whole way there. Daddy Duck sings a song to guide her, but Flo would rather sing her own song, a VERY high and VERY loud song. She's so busy singing and going her own way, that she gets wildly off track, chased by a fox, and ends up at a carnival!

Flo has a lot of fun at first, eating treats, riding the ferris wheel, and singing her new song, but then she sees the fox! Luckily, she hasn't forgotten Daddy Duck's "boring" song and it gets her safely back to Daddy, away from the duck, and just in time to see Auntie Jenna's new home. Flo has learned her lesson and starts acting like a good little duckling... in fact, she's so good she gets to lead next time and they go straight to the carnival!

Jarvis' splashy colors bounce across the pages of this oversized picture book, showing a charming little ducky and her loving family. Bright greens, golds, pinks, and reds show the lovely spring countryside and the exciting carnival. Caregivers will appreciate seeing naughty Flo get her comeuppance and learn that some rules are meant to be followed, while still keeping her own, individual flair.

Verdict: A wonderful new addition to storytime, be sure to come up with some fun tunes for the songs and get ready to squeal with terror when the fox pops up! Recommended.

ISBN: 9781536212709; Published March 2020 by Candlewick; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

I've liked pretty much everything Jarvis has ever done, so I don't know why I always seem to miss their new books - they have board books now!

It starts out with the traditional song, "Mary had a little lamb. Its fleece was WHITE as snow." Turn the page and things change, "An orange tiger followed them." Mary and her lamb, cheerfully trotting through a landscape sketched in with a few notes of the appropriate color, acquire an interesting retinue of animals. First the tiger, then a pink hippo, red monkey, blue bears, purple mouse, green crocodile, and yellow giraffe. The band of colorful animals climbs aboard a gray bus, with Mary at the wheel, and take a trip to the park for a picnic lunch.

Each spread includes a unique color, descriptor, and sound. For example, the green crocodile marches across the green ground and between a few green plants and mushrooms, making snapping sounds. The pink hippo dances, the bears play trumpets, and through it all Mary leads the way. Sometimes she listens to music, examines a watch, or sings along with her friends. Mary has black hair and light skin, with a cheerful blue coat and hat, decorated with yellow polka-dots.

The board book is a traditional shape, a little under 7 inches square. The pages are sturdy, but the hinges are a little thin.

Verdict: A strong addition to any board book or storytime collection, babies and toddlers are sure to enjoy making sounds and identifying colors along with Mary and her friends.

ISBN: 9781536211115; Published September 2019 by Candlewick; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Morris has finished his day at work. He has a problem though. He has misplaced his spectacles. In this humorous tale readers will follow Morris on his journey visiting the different animals in their homes thinking that he has at last reached his home. Morris does not realize that his spectacles are on his head. I would recommend this for any collection. Children will love following along on his journey and it is a very interactive story. It would make a great read aloud story.

Tropical Terry is a story about acceptance and accepting who you are and who others are. With friends who will always accept you for who you are without faking it.

Tropical Terry is one I will recommend to anyone who... well anyone.

This is a story about a dog named Dave. Dave loves to sleep, and his owner Lily calls him lazy. The only thing Lily does not know is that Dave is adventurous. He sleepwalks and does many different things from winning the best dog in show, chasing cats, facing his fears, and even stopping a criminal from robbing a jewelry store! Dave becomes a hero. Lily sees that a dog has stopped the burglary and wishes Dave could be more like that dog not knowing that it was Dave who was the hero. In the end, Lily accepts Dave and loves him just the way he is! This book reminds me of my dog! Since she was a puppy she has always loved to sleep! This book teaches about acceptance and loving people for who they are!

Dave sleeps a lot...but he gets a lot done in his sleep.½

board book - thick pages