Review - Window

Window
by Marion Arbona
Date: 2020
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

In this wordless picture book, extraordinary things are happening behind the windows of the city.

A young girl is walking home from school in a big city. As she gazes up at window after window in the buildings on her route - each one a different shape and size - she imagines what might be going on behind them. By opening the gatefold, readers will get to see inside her imagination. An indoor jungle. A whale in a bathtub. Vampires playing badminton.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is a nice little wordless picture book that shows a little girl imagining what's going on behind all the windows she sees as she walks home.

The black-and-white illustrations are detailed and interesting, and tell a story fairly well without using any words at all. I read this as an e-book, however, and it definitely doesn't work as well as it probably does as a paper book. Each spread really needs to be viewed in its entirety, and it looks like there are flaps to lift to reveal the different scenes hiding behind each window. (There are just some features that e-books can't replicate.)

If you can find a paper copy of this, I'd recommend taking a look. As wordless picture books go, it's fairly strong, and kids will have fun seeing the imaginative scenes lurking behind each of the varied windows.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for providing a digital ARC.

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

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.4 out of 5

Review - Simon Steps Into the Ring

Simon Steps Into the Ring
by Marylène Monette
illustrated by Marion Arbona
Date: 2020
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

Simon tries to be kind. But sometimes he loses his temper and acts without thinking, which almost always gets him into trouble. As Simon begins to understand his outbursts, he imagines himself in a boxing ring with his emotions. Can he come out on top and learn how to acknowledge his feelings?

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is a story about emotional regulation. I'm not sure if the translation is just clumsy, but it doesn't really seem like a book for children; at times, the vocabulary is pretty advanced, especially given the simplistic way the main character is urged to deal with his feelings.

Simon gets in trouble at school. He imagines he has lots of little Simons inside of him, each fighting the other for supremacy. His uncle tells him that they're all important, but that they each have their place. What Simon really needs is a referee.

I'm not a fan of framing the whole emotional struggle with a violent metaphor. All of Simon's emotional states are represented by little boxers... but this doesn't make a lot of sense for some of the calmer, kinder Simons. I'm also a bit put off by encouraging kids to segment their personalities like this; the discussion at the end tells kids to think about their own little versions of themselves. Is it healthy to dissociate like this? Or even blame bad behaviour on some personified aspect of the personality? I'm not a psychological expert, but this just doesn't sit quite right with me.

I thought the illustrations looked familiar, and I realized I'd seen Marion Arbona's work before in Sam's Pet Temper by Sangeeta Bhadra. That's actually a much better look at emotional regulation in kids, and I think I would probably recommend that book over this one for this particular topic.

Overall, this didn't quite work for me. I don't know if all kids are going to be able to imagine all these separate aspects of themselves, and I'm not even sure if they should. Even if they do, I think some are going to struggle with assigning the pugilistic characteristics of a boxer to aspects of the personality like "Perfect Brother", "Good Student", and "Joyous".

Thank you to NetGalley and Orca Book Publishers for providing a digital ARC.

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

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall: 2.33 out of 5

Review - Sam's Pet Temper

Sam's Pet Temper
by Sangeeta Bhadra
illustrated by Marion Arbona
Date: 2014
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

Sam is so frustrated waiting his turn at the playground that a Temper shows up. Within seconds, the beastly, wild thing clears the place, and Sam happily plays alone with his new pet. But his Temper follows him everywhere, causing more and more trouble, until Sam realizes he needs to put a stop to it. How is the question... Kids will laugh at the relatable situations, while parents and teachers will enjoy the chance to talk about pet Tempers and ways to tame them.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This story is actually kind of fun. Sam finds a Temper at the playground one day (or, more accurately, it finds him), and after he takes it home with him, he gets into all sorts of trouble. Personifying something like a temper is pretty clever, although I'm not sure if really young children will understand the concept. I liked how Sam always tried to excuse his bad behaviour by blaming it on his new pet.

The illustrations are interesting, done in a very limited colour palette (black, brown, red, pink, turquoise, and blue), and heavily stylized. However, one of the illustrations when the Temper turned into a large, snake-like creature, was kind of frightening--I don't think I would've liked that page when I was a little kid.

Overall, the message is good... if the kids are savvy enough to grasp it. The premise is clever, and the illustrations are amusing.

Quotable moment:

"Sammy! What's gotten into you?" asked his mother.
"It's not me," said Sam. "It's my Temper."
"Well, control your temper," said his mother. "Now get washed up for supper."
Sam told the Temper, "You have to be good at home, okay?"
The Temper purred.

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

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.5 out of 5