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Garland, Michael
15 Reviews
(4)
K-3
Using brief rhyming text, this book introduces flowers typical of cold-climate North America in seasonal blooming order, beginning with the early-arriving snowdrop and crocus and ending with autumn's chrysanthemums. Though the illustrations of animals lack warmth, the digital-collage depictions of flowers are eye-catching and appropriately vibrant. Further information about the flowers is appended.
Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey
(4)
K-3
A simple sentence or two per page gets right to the point while digitally colored woodcuts illustrate each labeled bird and the species' nest. Whether high or low; basket or mound-shaped; made with sticks, mud, grass, or animal hair, each type of bird has its own architectural plan to protect its eggs. Garland's illustration style gives the various nesting materials a similar, undistinguished look.
Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo
(3)
PS
Besties Big and Little have diametrically opposed personalities. That Big is an elephant and Little a mouse isn't mind-blowing, but Garland flips expectations by making Big timid and Little brave, Big a nibbler and Little a gourmand, etc. Through succinct rhymes and painterly art, Garland makes the larger (and smaller) point that a real friend doesn't expect you to change.
Reviewer: Nell Beram
(4)
K-3
I Like to Read series.
This beginning reader follows a mouse as he searches for food in a bustling metropolis, evades predators, and ultimately takes the subway carrying his prize: an enormous slice of pizza. Garland's pencil and digital illustrations have an odd plastic-like quality, but they successfully support the sight word–filled text. New readers may find humor in this spunky rodent's trek across a garbage-strewn city.
Reviewer: Morgan Stewart
(4)
K-3
I Like to Read series.
Dog Pete gets very lost en route to Grandma's house. He drives from desert to rainforest to the South Pole, asking for directions at each stop, until a whale ferries him and his car to the right place. Slick digital illustrations tell much of the story; simple, repetitive text ("That way") will keep beginning readers following Pete along his silly detour.
Reviewer: Martha Sibert
(4)
PS
Slim text and bold graphite-pencil and digital illustrations demonstrate the many ways a small but mighty tugboat is useful in New York City's waterways. While there isn't much substantial information about tugs, the layout and design will please preschoolers looking for the latest in transportation literature. Includes a table of contents, glossary, and a note about NYC's Willis Avenue Bridge.
Reviewer: Pam Yosca
(3)
K-3
I Like to Read series.
A cheery car with animated expressions looks sparkling clean at the start of the day but quickly gets dirty ("Car does not look good now. Car is sad"). It recovers with a trip through a car wash ("Car looks good again!"). Word repetition and ultra-simple plotting paired with the bold and bright digital illustrations will interest young vehicle aficionados.
Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty
(4)
K-3
I Like to Read series.
"'I wish I were a bird!' said Fish. 'I could fly high up in the sky.'" This is an appealing if familiar story about a fish who wishes to be a variety of creatures before realizing that "it is good to be a fish." The full-spread close-up images of the featured animals are more engaging than the simple text.
Reviewer: Beth L. Meister
(4)
K-3
Timmy goes with Grandpa Joe to see his childhood farm. There they find a rusty tractor that elicits wonderful memories for Grandpa--plowing fields, looking for Christmas trees, etc.; soon Timmy can visualize them, too. It's an effective hook, but the stiff digital illustrations aren't a great match for the story's overriding element of nostalgia.
Reviewer: Patricia Riley
(4)
K-3
Santa's all set to deliver the presents--but the reindeers' harness snaps, leaving him and the sleigh (sans reindeer) near a barn. No problem; Santa uses magic to hitch up cows, pigs, and sheep instead. After the problem is solved, the story fizzles. Some humor comes across in the exaggerated illustrations of the chubby, hapless farm animals.
Reviewer: Patricia Riley
(4)
K-3
Tommy is getting ready for school when the newscaster announces a snow day. Moments later he finds a note from his aunt that leads him on a scavenger hunt around town. Readers are challenged to find snow-related items on every slick double-page spread (though the lists don't appear until the end), which is really the point of this otherwise awkward story.
Reviewer: Pearl Higgins
(4)
K-3
Look Again Book series.
In this Fourth of July story, Tommy, following his aunt's clues, travels across America from Philadelphia to San Francisco and many places in between. After an introductory poem addressed to readers, the story starts without explanation, and some of the rhymes are forced. Digital illustrations cleverly incorporate search-and-find images of famous Americans, symbols, paintings, and quotations.
Reviewer: Patricia Riley
(4)
K-3
Thanks to the fairies, Seamus's goat, Finny, can talk. Impressed by his rendition of the tale of Finn MacCool, the judges at the King Puck festival unanimously crown Finny the King of Ireland for a day. The digital illustrations lend a synthetic quality to the otherwise mildly entertaining tale.
Reviewer: Cindy Lombardo
(4)
PS
A trip to the woods leads to unexpected adventures for ten hungry mice. The main text tells how they gather, then lose, their food, while supplemental text asks readers to keep track ("How many cherries do the mice have now?"). The multiple textures of the brightly colored double-page spreads are appealing but make it difficult to count objects.
Reviewer: Cindy Lombardo
(4)
K-3
This is a farcical account of a visit by President William Howard Taft to dedicate a new flagpole in a small town. The young narrator leads, then follows, the three-hundred-pound president as he postpones the dedication to consume spaghetti, barbecue, steamed vegetables, and, finally, the narrator's mother's apple pie. Nostalgic cartoony pictures illustrate the anemic story.
Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian
15 reviews
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