Picture Book Review: Once Upon a Time There Was and Will Be So Much More by Johanna Schaible (2021)

Quick Booktalk 

 A series of pages decrease in size  as they portray the passage of time from billions of years ago to just one minute ago, to right now, and then increase again as the text wonders what might occur in both the near and distant future. 

About the Illustrations 

The pictures are done with paint and cut paper collages, and each page distills the time period it talks about into a single image.  (Lava erupting from a volcano, a pyramid, etc.) The beginning and ending images mirror each other's landscapes, giving the book a very satisfying sense of everything coming full circle. There is also a strong sense of quiet on each spread, which furthers the thoughtful, almost philosophical mood suggested by the text.

Story Time Possibilities

Because the unique structure of this book includes very tiny pages at its center, it wouldn't be very useful to read to more than a handful of kids at a time. It probably works best shared one-on-one with a child or as an independent read for an early elementary schooler with strong reading skills.

Readers Advisory

This book gives great context for helping kids to understand where we are in time. In terms of the way it breaks down the time periods, it reminds me a lot of Life Story by Virginia Lee Burton, but with a lot less text. I typically do a unit on natural history in our homeschool during each of my kids' kindergarten years, and I can see this being a very useful title for introducing the topic of time in preparation for reading Life Story. It also pairs really well with another recent picture book release, The Day Time Stopped by Flavia Ruotolo, which deals with the passage of time over the course of a single day. 

Disclosure

I received a finished copy of Once Upon a Time There Was and Will Be So Much More from Candlewick Studio in exchange for an honest review.

Picture Book Review: The Welcome Chair by Rosemary Wells, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney (2021)

Quick Booktalk

A rocking chair carved with words of welcome is passed down through generations of immigrants to the U.S. 

About the Illustrations

As always, Jerry Pinkney's pictures, done in his signature style, are a beautiful accompaniment to the text of this book. He captures each historical time period covered by the story, evoking a particular era with just one or two images. The details of architecture, clothing, furniture, tools, and even a ship are carefully rendered on each page. Facial expressions, too, help convey the emotions of the people in the story and contribute to the reader's understanding of the significance of the chair. 

Story Time Possibilities

The main text of this book, which begins with true events from Rosemary Wells's own family history and finishes with a story from her imagination, would be excellent to read aloud to an elementary audience. My concern, though, is that the preface and author's note politicize the subject by alluding to immigration issues of the present day as though there is only one right way to think about them. This is a much more nuanced topic that requires proper context if one is going to have an informed opinion. I would probably not read the author's note aloud to younger kids, but with older ones it might be possible to use the book as a jumping off point for discussion, provided an adult gave them additional context. 

Readers Advisory

This book reminds me a bit of The Quilt Story by Tony Johnston and Tomie dePaola, but The Welcome Chair covers a much longer time period and has much more depth. While the main focus is on immigration, this book also speaks to themes of family history, community, friendship, and hope. I think it's probably best suited to grades 3 and 4. I also think it would be interesting to read this book with other chair-themed stories, such as A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams and Peter's Chair by Ezra Jack Keats.  

Disclosure

I received a digital review copy of The Welcome Chair from Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing in exchange for an honest review. 

Picture Book Review: Three Ways to Be Brave by Karla Clark, illustrated by Jeff Ostberg (2021)

Quick Booktalk

The fears surrounding three common childhood experiences - thunderstorms, the first day of school, and a check-up at the doctor's office - are addressed in rhyming text and accompanying soothing illustrations.

About the Illustrations

Color is the main focus of the pictures. The colors used in each illustration directly reflect the mood of whatever is happening on the page. The thunderstorm scenes use lots of deep purples and blues, whereas the little girl eating breakfast before school is bathed in yellow sunlight, and the boy throwing a fit because he doesn't want a shot is set against a red and orange background. The illustrations also have interesting points of view that make them feel as though we're seeing them from a child's eye level. 

Story Time Possibilities

The rhyming text in this book contains a lot of rhyme for rhyme's sake. Though there is always some level of demand for bibliotherapy-type books to help kids prepare for and process scary and new situations, the stilted and bland text makes it unlikely that the book would get additional attention outside of that specific type of need. My daughter who has a check-up coming up soon was definitely interested in the check-up chapter, and it did spark a lot of discussion for her, but it was the content and the pictures that won her over, not the text. Reading it aloud was pretty painful for me too. 

Readers Advisory

The old Mr. Rogers books about various childhood milestones are still the standard for this genre, and though this book is new and shiny looking, it just does not compare to the work of Fred Rogers. It's fine for supporting kids going through new experiences, but the text is just very weak, even if the illustrations are appealing. 

Disclosure 

I received a finished copy of Three Ways to Be Brave from Penguin Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. 

Picture Book Review: A Walk in the Words by Hudson Talbott (2021)

Quick Booktalk

In first person, the author relates his experience learning to read and to accept himself as a "slow" reader.

About the Illustrations 

The pictures in this book do a great job of capturing abstract concepts in a concrete medium. The whimsical illustrations really help to convey how the author felt about words, books, and the act of reading and also how his feelings changed and developed over time. The visual comparison of the world of words to a scary, complex forest works really well, as does his shift in perspective at the end of the story toward seeing the world of words as an ocean whose waves he can surf with ease. 

Story Time Possibilities

This is a definite classroom book that will most likely be used to address kids' anxiety about reading. There really is no story here outside of the lesson about learning to read at one's own pace, and that's the kind of thing teachers want to read about on the first day of school to break the ice and set the tone for the year. I think the text is pleasant to read aloud, but I'm not sure I see the book being chosen for anything other than bibliotherapy.

Readers Advisory 

I am not convinced that a child who is reluctant to read is going to be persuaded otherwise by reading a book. I do think such kids will relate to some of the images Talbott uses to describe his journey, so it does have the potential to be a good conversation starter, but it would require just the right touch from adults to get the interest of the child who could most benefit from it. For me, this seems mostly like a picture book that will be loved by adults but not necessarily universally embraced by kids. It's a well-done picture book, but its audience is likely to be limited. 

Disclosure 

I received a finished copy of A Walk in the Words from Penguin Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.