Review - One Little Bag: An Amazing Journey

One Little Bag: An Amazing Journey
by Henry Cole
Date: 2020
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 48
Format: e-book
Source: library

A wordless book that starts from a tall tree growing in the forest-
to the checkout counter at the grocery store-
one brown bag finds its way into the hands of a young boy on the eve of his first day of school.

And so begins the journey of one brown bag that is used
and re-used
and re-used again.

In a three-generation family, the bag is transporter of objects and keeper of memories. And when Grandfather comes to the end of his life, the family finds a meaningful new way for the battered, but much-loved brown bag to continue its journey in the circle of life.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Somehow, Henry Cole is able to tell a story without any words at all. This is the story of a paper bag as it travels through the generations of one family, gathering love until it finally comes full circle and returns to its place of origin.

The detailed illustrations are lovely, and the paper bag--set off in brown--is the main character in this unique picture book. It starts out being a vessel for a little boy's lunch, but its uses become more varied as the boy grows up and has a family of his own.

The story is sweet enough (it put me in mind of the opening sequence of the movie Up, though it's not nearly as sad), but the author's note at the end, where he talks about his own well-loved paper bag, is icing on the cake. The whole thing is a wonderful message about using things that still have life left in them; there's no reason to throw out a lot of the things we do.

I'd recommend this book to pretty much everyone. The wordless format means that even young children can watch the story unfold on their own.

Quotable moment:

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

Enjoyment: 5/5

Overall: 4.6 out of 5

Review - With a Little Help from My Friends

With a Little Help from My Friends
by John Lennon & Paul McCartney
illustrated by Henry Cole
Date: 2019
Publisher: Little Simon
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

Celebrate friendship with this lyrical picture book that beautifully illustrates John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s world-renowned words from “With a Little Help from My Friends.”

I get by with a little help from my friends…

In this gorgeously illustrated picture book, the universally loved words to “With a Little Help from My Friends” come vividly to life, showing that sometimes, all you need is a little help from your friends!

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is a lovely little book about friendship. Taking the 1967 song as its starting point, the book weaves a story about two young girls and their friendship as it faces a major challenge.

The illustrations by Henry Cole are really adorable. They're mostly in black and white, with just a few touches of colour. I think they were my favourite part of the book and, to be honest, this probably could've been a wordless picture book and it would've worked just as well. The song lyrics did seem a bit forced in a few places, and I'm not sure if "I get high with a little help from my friends" is entirely appropriate for a picture book (the illustrations cleverly use a kite at that point, so it's probably only older kids who will giggle over the "get high" reference).

I've read other books that take old songs and turn them into picture books (e.g., What the World Needs Now Is Love and The Circle Game), but this is one of the strongest I've read so far. Highly recommended to Beatles fans or readers who are seeking out books on friendship.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.83 out of 5

Review - A Teeny Tiny Halloween

A Teeny Tiny Halloween
by Lauren L. Wohl
illustrated by Henry Cole
Date: 2016
Publisher: Persnickety Press
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

It happens every fall. The leaves from the tall trees that surround her house drift down until the teeny tiny woman’s teeny tiny house is buried completely. Inside it’s dark and a teeny tiny bit scary, but the resourceful woman has a plan and a few surprises up her teeny tiny sleeve.

Written to be shared through read-aloud or story-telling, the type face indicates where the teller should be whispering and when suddenly s/he should shout – surprising the listeners, even causing them to jump, which puts this book in the realm of jump-tales, so popular at spooky-story times like Halloween and around the campfire on summer evenings. Short enough for even young children to remember after reading or hearing the story a few times, the book encourages children themselves to tell the tale themselves, making a family tradition.

Former Disney Publishing executive, Lauren L. Wohl, tells an all-new story starring a favorite character from folklore with an autumnal chill and a special treat that brings the book to a perfect-for-Halloween ending. Children will want to return to the teeny tiny house again and again to enjoy Henry Cole’s illustrations that capture the mood and the humor of the tale.

Sure to be a perennial holiday favorite, like The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything, a book that makes the bestseller list every single Halloween!

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I was curious to see where this was going to go with the teeny tiny woman and everything else about her life that's teeny tiny. Unfortunately, there's not much else to it. The gimmick seems to be the repetition of the words "teeny tiny" in very small text. The rest of the story doesn't have much going for it.

Every year, the leaves fall and bury the teeny tiny woman's house. She tries to make noise to get some help, but nobody hears her. So she decides to bake cookies. These attract a trio of trick-or-treaters, who unearth the house and then get rewarded.

I don't know... This almost has "Hansel and Gretel" vibes to me. The teeny tiny woman isn't malicious, but still... I'm not a fan of kids accepting food from strangers (especially handmade food). The fact that it's Halloween is probably supposed to help; after all, if these kids had just found some random woman's house in the forest on any other day of the year, it would've set off big red flags if she'd invited them in for cookies.

Child luring? I don't know. It's just a little too creepy for me. The illustrations are cute, though.

Premise: 2/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3 out of 5

Review - Spot & Dot

Spot & Dot (Spot the Cat #2)
by Henry Cole
Date: 2019
Publisher: Little Simon
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

From beloved author-illustrator Henry Cole comes the stunning follow-up to Spot, the Cat. In this beautiful wordless picture book, Spot the cat finds a dog named Dot who’s off on her own adventure through the city!

In Henry Cole’s vivid wordless picture book Spot, the Cat, readers joined Spot on a journey through a city that began with him following a bird outside his window.

This time, a dog named Dot draws Spot from his window. As we follow Spot and Dot on their wordless journey, we quickly realize that it’s Dot the dog who is missing this time, and Spot is trying to get her back home. We follow these two on a different journey through the city as they weave in and out of a bakery, a library, a busy park, and more. And with a surprise twist at the end, we realize that “home” for both cat and dog was never very far away.

With detailed black-and-white illustrations, readers will love following Spot and Dot on their adventure and cheering for the sweet reunion at the end.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This wordless picture book almost has a Where's Waldo? vibe to it. The detailed black-and-white illustrations have so much to look at, besides the dog and cat who are running through each picture. While the story is fairly basic, the book is fun to peruse. Can you pick out Spot and Dot as they make their way through the city?

I don't know what else I can say about this one. For a wordless picture book, it's done fairly well. If you like seek-and-find illustrations, you might like this book, too. Now I'm kind of curious about the first book in the series...

Quotable moment:

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

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.6 out of 5

Review - Ferocious Fluffity: A Mighty Bite-y Class Pet

Ferocious Fluffity: A Mighty Bite-y Class Pet
by Erica S. Perl
illustrated by Henry Cole
Date: 2016
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

Mr. Drake’s second grade class has a new class pet. Fluffity appears to be a cute and docile hamster—but the kids soon discover that she is not the cuddly pet they expected. From the moment her cage door opens, Fluffity becomes FEROCIOUS—biting and chasing everyone down the hall and into the library! Will the class be able to tame this beast and bring peace back to their school? The bestselling team behind Chicken Butt! and Chicken Butt’s Back! has crafted another laugh-out-loud tale that’s sure to be a hit with any child who’s ever wanted a pet. Erica Perl’s pitch-perfect rhymes and Henry Cole’s over-the-top animal character make for the perfect classroom read-aloud.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is pretty funny, and teaches a valuable lesson about respecting your pets. Sometimes, children's books try too hard to be funny, and they just end up seeming stupid. Ferocious Fluffity strikes just the right balance, however; it's relatable, it's cute, it has hilarious illustrations, and there's a great rhyming text to top it all off.

Don't be fooled by that innocent little face, though: Fluffity is a beast.

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

Enjoyment: 5/5

Overall: 4.29 out of 5