Awake Beautiful Child

Starred review from September 7, 2015
Rosenthal (I Wish You More) again demonstrates her ability to use wordplay to create stories with real emotional depth as she follows children through a day, described only in three-word, A-B-C phrases. It “All Begins Cheerily” with a boy waking up, followed by an afternoon of exploration (“Ants, Butterflies, Caterpillars”) and rowdy superhero play (“Attention! Be Careful!” says his harried mother). Later, a girl and her mother explore an “Active Bustling City,” and another child asks her father for a bedtime story reread: “ ‘Again!’ (Begs Convincingly).” Illustrator Lam’s debut couldn’t be more polished and confident: her palette seems to shift with the day’s waxing and waning light, while her crisp, screenprintlike images have an understated poise and precision that highlights the quiet magic of everyday moments. Ages 3–up. Author’s agent: Amy Rennert, Amy Rennert Agency.

September 1, 2015
An alphabetical look (of the first three letters) at childlike activities throughout the day. Beginning with a morning stretch and ending with a flick of the bedroom light switch, readers follow various children in their daily routines. The entire text is composed of three-word phrases that begin with the consecutive letters A, B, and C. Some are simple lists: "Apples, Bananas, Cantaloupes" at the breakfast table, or "Ants, Butterflies, Caterpillars" during a walk. But others are beautiful reminders ("Always Be Curious") or silly words of wisdom ("Avoid Blinking-Cheese!" during a photograph). Each word is no doubt carefully chosen, but the illustrations far outshine the text. Lam's delicate blocks of muted pastel color and wide-eyed, Caucasian children evoke wonder and curiosity. (If there is diversity here, it is extremely subtle.) Various objects beginning with A, B, or C are scattered throughout the layered illustrations; children are encouraged to go back and spot them (a list at the end suggests they delve deep and find "aperture" and "constellation"). Unfortunately, the book is constricted by its form rather than flourishing from it, and it never achieves narrative flow. Nevertheless, a small, clever trick such as constructing an ABC phrase may be just enough to delight. Albeit Beautiful, Contrived. (Picture book. 4-7)

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January 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 2-Using only the first three letters of the alphabet, Rosenthal presents an ABC in the life of a child, as the text describing the beginning of the day ("all begins cheerily" and "amusing breakfast chatter") transitions to the busy child winding up his adventures at bedtime ("Alive. Beloved. Content."). Intricate wordplay throughout combines descriptive words, nouns, and verbs on some pages with just three separate objects on others. As an added challenge, a sprinkling of other ABC words represented by more pictures are featured throughout the book, such as the bed the boy is sleeping on, the blocks and ball on the floor, and the cactus in the corner. This creates an interactive game for children to participate in while listening to the story, which features just three well-chosen words reflecting a single day well spent. Lam's soft pastel illustrations transition from light and cheerful in the morning to darker toward the latter portion of the day. The last sentence ("Alas, Book Concluded") is represented in pitch black with a single hand pressing a blue light switch. Unlike more standard alphabet books featuring one word per letter on a page, this one skillfully demonstrates how to use a few of those letters to create clever, meaningful, and sometimes poetic phrases. An ideal follow-up would be to encourage children to create their own ABC phrases. A more ambitious endeavor would be to have them couple other three-letter combinations for future lessons (though X, Y, and Z might be too challenging!). VERDICT A unique and interactive book well worth sharing with a class while reviewing letters of the alphabet.-Etta Anton, Yeshiva of Central Queens, NY

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