I Hear a Pickle

October 19, 2015
As in her earlier books, simplicity is the defining note of Isadora’s (Bea at Ballet) inviting introduction to the senses. In five color-coded sections, one for each sense, multicultural kids take turns describing things they hear, smell, see, touch, or taste. Drawing from everyday experiences in a child’s life, Isadora pays tribute to the senses, as well as to the natural world, friends, family, food, pets, curiosity, and discovery. “I hear the drums. Too loud!” a boy with a buzz cut tells readers, fingers firmly planted in his ears. “I smell bread. I’m hungry!” says a girl as she climbs onto a stool to get a closer look at the round loaf cooling on the counter. Things the children “don’t” experience are just as important, adding cautionary notes (one boy doesn’t touch the stove), revealing personal preferences (“I don’t want to taste the spinach”), or showing how the world works (“The lamp is off. I don’t see!”). Isadora’s book brims with teachable moments, yet it’s her expressive ink and watercolor vignettes that steal the spotlight. Ages 2–5.

Starred review from October 15, 2015
Only the last page features the titular pickle--the rest of the book is a tribute to the five senses that will resonate with young readers. Highlighting sensory experiences that will be familiar to the majority of readers, Isadora focuses on one sense at a time, progressing from hearing to smelling, seeing, touching, and tasting (readers can track their progress with a list in the upper right of each spread); she devotes three spreads to all but taste, which gets only two. An ethnically diverse group of young children tell readers what they sense--or don't--in simple declarative sentences that are sometimes embellished by the kids' thoughts: "I don't smell. I have a cold." "I don't see the words in my book. / I wear my glasses. I see the words!" "I touch the egg. Oops!" While one girl enjoys PB&J, another says, "I taste a jelly sandwich. I'm allergic to peanuts." Isadora's ink-and-watercolor artwork uses vignettes and white backgrounds to bring each sense to the forefront, and children of most skin and hair colors will find at least one face like their own in these pages (glasses are the only depicted disability, however). Teachers, make sure this is on your shelves--it's a great read-aloud, an easy read for beginning readers, and a model for student books. (Picture/concept book. 3-6)

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Starred review from January 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 1-Isadora provides a sensory tour of early childhood, exploring common sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures. Each "chapter" consists of a number of simple declarative sentences matched with colorful ink and watercolor vignettes to capture what the children are experiencing or have learned not to try. For example, three vignettes on one page accompany the statements "I touch the sand. I make a castle. I touch the rain. I don't touch the cactus." Similarly, "I taste the pretzel. Salty! I taste the hot dog. Yum! I wait to taste the oatmeal. It is still hot!" The artist's trademark style is perfectly suited to depict the child-focused activities of these diverse, expressive, and engaging tots. As the title suggests, she uses a pickle to tie it all together for a sour, spicy, slippery, crunchy, green treat. VERDICT Preschoolers and their caregivers will devour this oversize title and come back for more.-Luann Toth, School Library Journal

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