Review - One Snowy Morning

One Snowy Morning
by Kevin Tseng
illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte
Date: 2019
Publisher: Dial Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

Two woodland friends spot a mysterious pile of snow decked out with funny objects which they put to use in unintended and highly original ways, proving that things are what you make of them

One morning, a squirrel and a chipmunk find the oddest things stuck in a giant pile of snow. Readers will recognize a snowman, but the two friends have their own ideas about what they've found. The top hat is a tall rowboat; the carrot nose is a rare dragon's tooth; and the mittens, of course, are fish puppets. The squirrel and the chipmunk wonder what all of these items are for -- and when they take them home, they figure out just what to do with them. The tall rowboat makes a perfect table; the rare dragon's tooth makes a delicious soup; and the fish puppets make amazing hats! They throw a dragon-tooth-soup party for all their friends, and the next morning they put (almost) everything back, nearly where they found it. Readers will still see a snowman, but they'll also see how the snowman can be so much more.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

The premise of this book is super cute. Some forest critters find a snowman, but they don't understand what it is... and so they assign meaning to each of the objects found within it. The coal eyes are lumpy kickballs, the hat is a tall rowboat, and the carrot nose is a rare dragon tooth! When the animals think they've figured out what everything is for, they put those objects to use and have a party.

I don't want to say too much more about the plot for fear of ruining the ending (which made me chuckle). The interpretations of the various objects by the animals are fun and creative. It reminds me of an exercise we used to do in school where we'd have to come up with new interpretations for everyday objects.

The illustrations are cute, and the animals' friendships are sweet. The theme of imagination and creativity is a great one, and readers are likely to smile at the animals' unique interpretations of human objects.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 5/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 5/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 4.33 out of 5

Review - The Remember Balloons

The Remember Balloons
by Jessie Oliveros
illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte
Date: 2018
Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 48
Format: e-book
Source: library

What’s Happening to Grandpa meets Up in this tender, sensitive picture book that gently explains the memory loss associated with aging and diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

James’s Grandpa has the best balloons because he has the best memories. He has balloons showing Dad when he was young and Grandma when they were married. Grandpa has balloons about camping and Aunt Nelle’s poor cow. Grandpa also has a silver balloon filled with the memory of a fishing trip he and James took together.

But when Grandpa’s balloons begin to float away, James is heartbroken. No matter how hard he runs, James can’t catch them. One day, Grandpa lets go of the silver balloon—and he doesn’t even notice!

Grandpa no longer has balloons of his own. But James has many more than before. It’s up to him to share those balloons, one by one.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Well, there's a depressing picture book. Don't get me wrong: it's pretty good. It's just so sad.

Despite what the synopsis says, this isn't a book about simply getting a little forgetful as you age. Grandpa has full-blown, rip-roaring Alzheimer's, to the point where he loses all of his memories. The point at which he loses the silver balloon--representing a shared experience with his grandson--is gut-wrenching. However, there's a little bit of hope at the end, and about as much of a happy-ever-after as a story like this is going to get.

I really like the metaphor that's used here. Balloons represent memories. It's not explicitly stated, but as the boy explains that he has more than his baby brother, and his parents have more than him, and his grandfather has more than all of them combined... well, it's easy to see what the balloons represent. (It gets even easier when the boy explains what's in those balloons.) The fact that even the dog has a balloon made me smile (and wonder what that one precious memory is all about... although I'm guessing it probably has something to do with food). As Grandpa's Alzheimer's takes hold, he starts to lose his balloons. The boy tries to chase them, but because they're not his, he can't really catch them. He has to just watch them float away. Eventually, though, because Grandpa told him the stories of what was in those balloons, the boy ends up with a few new ones in his own bunch... which he can then share with his grandfather.

The illustrations are simple, but effective. Pretty much everything is black and white, except for the balloons and the scenes depicted inside them. It really helps highlight what the reader is supposed to focus on.

Overall, this is a sad book, but it's a nice metaphor about memories and it could help children who are trying to understand what's happening to a family member who might be suffering from Alzheimer's.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall Rating: 3.67 out of 5 ladybugs