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Gomi, Taro
8 Reviews
(3)
PS
"I really don't want to... / but I have to," thinks a crocodile heading for his dentist's office; "I really don't want to, but I have to," thinks the dentist, readying his instruments for the croc. Likewise identical thoughts ("I'm ready for the worst!" and so on) form this comically clever appeal to consider others' feelings. Gomi's doughy-looking cartoonish illustrations are toothsome throughout.
Reviewer: Nell Beram
(2)
PS
Yumi and her grandmother impulsively set out to see the other, but they keep passing each other as they travel in opposite directions. At last they meet in the middle and happily picnic together under a tree. Warm colors draw viewers into all the action and situational humor, while the brief but effective text's repetition makes this sweet picture book work for both young listeners and newly independent readers.
Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
July, 2018
(2)
PS
Originally published in 1985 in Japan, Gomi's latest import is a delightful exploration of the many ways in which "numbers are everywhere!" Written in short, declarative sentences, the text points out that numbers have many uses, from telling time to indicating temperature to identifying prices and so on. Gomi's illustrations balance plenty of white space with colorful, expressive vignettes featuring a variety of children and adults.
Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2017
(4)
PS
"What is over the ocean?" A child on the beach, his or her back to the reader, has many guesses (e.g., "Are there fairs over the ocean? / Are there fun rides?"); each guess is handsomely depicted off in the distance. (Across the Ocean would have been a more accurate title.) Readers who embrace open-endedness should find the book wondrous.
Reviewer: Nell Beram
(2)
PS
Translated by Tadashi Yoshida.
In this Japanese import, diminutive Santa (mustache, no beard, dressed in pink) arrives in a helicopter. He peeks through windows to see who's inside ("A zebra definitely lives here. / I'll leave him a scarf to match his stripes"). He's usually wrong, but Santa deserves some slack. The wittily placed die-cuts in Gomi's jewel-toned illustrations lead to the mix-ups--and brain-teasing surprises.
Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2016
(3)
PS
This story follows a small boy through a day which begins with him being the first to wake up, then the first to get dressed, and so on. But being first isn't always positive for him. Preschoolers won't miss the silly details as bold colors and blocky figures show a brown-skinned boy engaged in daily routines. This resized edition was previously published as First Comes Harry.
Reviewer: Kathleen T. Horning
(3)
PS
Three- and four-word sentences describe the world as the seasons change. While simple, some of the thoughts, such as "the world is hushed," have a quality that transcends the limited-syllable text and makes the Spanish translation artistically successful. Gomi's visual ideas are also terrific, especially the snowscape that turns into a cow on the following page.
Reviewer: Tim Wadham
(1)
K-3
A boy, his father, and a crowded department store provide the setting for a familiar theme: Lost! Each spread contains a die cut or flap on the right concealing part of a person who might be Dad, only to reveal a stranger when the flap is lifted. Gomi's solid, simply painted figures against white backgrounds work well with the turn-the-flap format, the seemingly offhand renderings belying a carefully planned book and sophisticated composition.
Reviewer: Lolly Robinson
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
July, 2001
8 reviews
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