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Hillenbrand, Will
15 Reviews
(3)
PS
In their latest adventure, Bear and Mole go camping, but Mole worries they'll get lost in the dark. Bear reassures Mole with a story about the First Bears making the moon and stars, including--in a dramatic vertical spread--the stationary First Star that guides creatures at night. Spacious art transitioning into a nighttime blue palette complements the simple text full of soothing repetition.
Reviewer: Martha Sibert
(3)
PS
Bear, Mole, and Skunk each have something to sell on Market Day. Bear does a brisk business with his berries, but Skunk's perfume and Mole's worms aren't selling. After they switch places, however, each is the other's best customer. Luckily, Bear earned lots of dimes to purchase ice cream for everyone. Story-hour audiences will buy into this amusing story enhanced by chipper illustrations.
Reviewer: Aimee Chevrette Bear
(2)
YA
This adaptation of Hillenbrand's best-selling adult version puts the Louis Zamperini story in teens' hands. Zamperini traded delinquency for adulation, becoming a runner on the 1938 Olympic track team; in WWII he survived a plane crash only to be captured as a POW; after battling alcoholism, he became a Christian crusader. The tension never wavers, creating a humdinger of a page-turner. Ind.
Reviewer: Betty Carter
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2014
(3)
K-3
In this clever wordless story, a bear, fox, and bird first build a snowman, then hand it a book to read to them before bedtime (i.e., hibernation). A mischievous rabbit snatches the book, and a chase through the wintry landscape ensues. There's drama, humor, and adventure in the tale, illustrated with varied yet easy-to-follow mixed-media illustrations. Pair with Briggs's wordless classic The Snowman.
Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz
(3)
PS
In this cumulative tale, a tractor-driving pup circles the farmyard to pick up young animals, eventually bringing them to a storytime gathering. The animal and machinery onomatopoeia help the text chug along, and the jovial mixed-media art keeps the story from becoming stale. Fans of Hillenbrand's companion book, Down by the Station, will appreciate his latest.
Reviewer: Chelsey Philpot
(3)
PS
Mole takes the training wheels off his bike and goes for a wild, comical ride. He crashes once and loses heart, but with Bear's encouragement, he arrives triumphantly at his destination. In true picture book fashion, the action-packed mixed-media illustrations perfectly expand on the brief text, which employs evocative verbs such as "hoist," and "wobble." A fine addition to the friends' continuing adventures.
Reviewer: Martha Sibert
(3)
K-3
It's perfect kite-flying weather, so Bear and Mole (Spring Is Here!) construct their own kite and fly it happily until a storm whisks it away. They chase the kite and discover that it has found a new purpose: shielding baby birds from the storm. The eventful plot, plentiful sound effects, and jaunty illustrations make this an excellent addition to Bear and Mole's adventures.
Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter
(3)
PS
Hillenbrand presents twenty nursery rhymes, both familiar ("Jack and Jill") and lesser-known ("Polly and Sukey"). Each includes some rebus pictures, with the words printed below in the larger illustrated scenes. Mixed-media illustrations in Hillenbrand's folksy style ably support the picture-puzzle concept and the details of the traditional tales.
Reviewer: Brittany Schlorff
(2)
PS
Attempting to rouse Bear from his winter's rest, Mole tries knocking on his door, tickling him, even blowing a horn. Finally, Mole tries a different approach, whipping up a spectacular breakfast. Hillenbrand's sense of humor is gentle yet emphatic, perfect for young children. With short, snappy sentences, happily predictable repetition, and engaging, tightly focused mixed-media illustrations, it's a surefire read-aloud for preschoolers.
Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2011
(3)
K-3
In this ambling story based loosely on the life of Madeline creator Ludwig Bemelmans, Louie is a young pig with a passion for drawing. He has a terrible time at school, but a few supportive adults help him to eventually become a successful picture book artist. Warm illustrations depict Louie as a hard-working, personable pig in blue overalls.
Reviewer: Marika Jeffrey
(4)
K-3
Jesus's birth inspires insecure rooster Harold (a play on herald) to find his inner cock-a-doodle-doo and proclaim Christ's "hope for a new day." The book's pacing is odd; it doesn't show itself as a Nativity story until nearly the end. Jewel-tone hues for Harold, the sun, and the star of Bethlehem announce themselves against softer background browns, greens, and blues.
Reviewer: Sethany Rancier Alongi
(2)
PS
A quiet Nativity story is enlivened by a baby owl's animated curiosity. The owl's hodgepodge of questions about the Holy Child is held together by minimalist collage illustrations, which in their warmth and bold simplicity should hold children's attention despite the total lack of action; the questioning, open-hearted, big-eyed Baby Owl is an appealing stand-in for human preschoolers.
Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2004
(4)
PS
The text begins with a young pig's apprehensions about his first day at school and ends with his reluctance to go home at day's end--all sung to the tune of the children's standard (music provided). Some lines don't scan, and the pig's problem is resolved improbably quickly, but the story and its benign mixed-media images may be a balm to young readers with school-related anxiety.
Reviewer: Nell Beram
(2)
PS
In this imaginative interpretation, a farming couple tends to their chores over nine months. The lyrics serve as a cumulative text, and mixed-media artwork tells the story. Alternating double-page spreads feature one month and one animal first in a peaceful farmyard scene, then inside the barn, where animals jam to their hearts' content. A moonlight concert celebrates what they've all been waiting for: a baby.
Reviewer: Kitty Flynn
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
July, 2002
(2)
PS
In this cheery cumulative story based on the traditional old song, a train makes several stops for baby animal riders. The train finally arrives at the children's zoo, followed by a schoolbus full of--what else?--children, and everyone disembarks for a day of play. Brightly colored mixed-media illustrations accompany this enjoyable adventure, with the music for the song on the last page.
Reviewer: Nancy Vasilakis
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 1999
15 reviews
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