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32 pp.
| Chronicle |
April, 2023 |
TradeISBN 9781797211794$17.99
(2)
K-3
In this deceptively simple book, a (mostly offstage) grownup poses a series of questions to a child; each query has a surprising range of suggested answers. The illustration accompanying the first question--"How ready are you?"--shows the child clutching a ruler signaling that measuring is to come (and rulers are incorporated in other spreads), but these aren't your typical growth charts. The eleven replies run the gamut from "not at all" to "on my way" to "rarin' to go," and the font size of each answer indicates the level of enthusiasm of the response. In the beginning, the questions are straightforward: "How big are you?" ("microscopic," "growing like a mushroom"); "How fast are you?" ("as slow as a tired turtle," "meteoric"). As the book progresses, the questions turn more contemplative and less quantifiable: "How happy are you?" ("out of sorts," "walking on air"); "How much do you have?" ("zilch," "more than I need"). The eye-catching, geometric illustrations feature a limited palette of bold colors, simple shapes, and graphically pleasing compositions, in which the energetic child (with brown skin and a mass of black hair), a blue dog, a caterpillar, and a tiger play out their own story. The questions lead to a sweet final one: "How much do I love you?" The child and pals (the caterpillar has gone from chrysalis to butterfly) dash to the light-skinned grownup, shown on the final spread with arms open wide, answering the question with an enthusiastic "Immeasurably!" This book cleverly expands young listeners' and readers' emotional vocabulary and offers many opportunities for cross-curricular activities.
Reviewer: Kitty Flynn
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
July, 2023