Round

Starred review from January 23, 2017
Having celebrated spiral shapes found in nature in Swirl by Swirl, Sidman offers a lovely contemplation of all things circular as Yoo (Strictly No Elephants) follows a child and her father through fields, to the shore, and beyond while they investigate the outside world. Writing in first person, Sidman begins with things that are innately, observably round—oranges that hang heavily from tree branches, seeds the girl scatters into a hole, a turtle’s nest of eggs. From there, she explains that some circular things “swell into roundness” (a cluster of red-capped mushrooms), are wondrously ephemeral (ripples, bubbles), or acquire their form over years, if not centuries. “Some are a different shape/ to begin with,/ but slowly, over time,/ all the sharp edges wear off,” she writes, while Yoo shows father and daughter paddling past weathered rocks in a small boat. Yoo’s mixed-media scenes feature bold, saturated colors and crayonlike textures, and they always highlight the girl’s curiosity. Closing notes offer additional fascinating insight into what makes round shapes so remarkable. A round of applause for this one. Ages 4–7. Illustrator’s agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties.

Starred review from February 15, 2017
A celebration of all things round--mostly in nature but also beneath a cozy blanket, in a circle of friends, encircled by loving arms."I love round things," and "I love to see round things grow." With expressions of surprise or quiet pleasure in Yoo's soft, idyllic outdoor scenes, a child with East Asian features plants peas, peeks at the round eggs of a turtle and a ladybug, blows bubbles, points to tree rings and to a huge full moon. Accompanied by her youthful-looking dad (or big brother?), she carries a basket of blueberries, explores a beach, canoes past water-rounded rocks, and chucks pebbles into a pond. With five friends--each showing a different set of ethnic markers--she lies beneath autumn leaves hand in hand, heads in the center of the circle; alone, she curls up under a comforter with a pet and a picture book. The visual tally and terse commentary close with a hug and the circle-closing words "I love round things." Roundness abounds in Yoo's mixed-media prints: there are oranges, spirals on a turtle's shell, the black centers of sunflowers, the concentric rings of a stump. In two pages of backmatter, Sidman goes on to describe how roundness benefits seeds, eggs, and other living things. A serene invitation to see and to think about both shape and concept. (Picture book. 3-6)

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June 1, 2017

PreS-K-Sidman delivers a captivating homage to the many round things found in nature and in the world around us. Told in the voice and sensibility of a young child, the simple text follows a girl as she comes across round objects, feels their smoothness, and wraps her fingers around their curves. Some she appreciates from afar (turtle eggs and sunflowers), watching how they roll, spin, or bounce. Some of the objects are in plain sight, and others are hidden and require close inspection. Many of the examples are surprising and delightful. For instance, rain splats and leaves circular ripples behind and round lily pads and turtle shells appear for observant viewers to notice. In fact, much of Yoo's appealing artwork, done in mixed media with printed texture, is rounded and in soft focus. Sidman's examples stretch from the fleeting (bubbles) to the enduring (a full moon) to the personal ("I can be round too...in a circle of friends with no one left out."). It's amazing how one square little book can hold such a wealth of roundness. VERDICT A lovely read-aloud to share in a story circle or in preparation for a nature walk and a perfect choice to curl up with one-on-one.-Luann Toth, School Library Journal

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from February 15, 2017
Preschool-K *Starred Review* Newbery Honor Book author Sidman captures the perfection of the simplest of shapes in this poetic ode to roundness. A brown-haired girl informs readers she loves round thingsloves to feel the smoothness and curves, and to watch round things grow or hatch. And, it turns out, there are so many round things in nature to love, from budding blueberries, to water drops becoming beads of silver as they fall, to rocks that weren't always round but shaped that way over eons. If all that roundness isn't enough, the child demonstrates how, by holding hands with friends, they can form their own circle, while alone, she can curl into a ball. Each carefully written line of text shows readers how the mundane can become magical if you look closely. You can even bask in the majesty of roundness when sitting on Dad's shoulders, looking up at a harvest moon. All of this elegant simplicity springs from the page through Yoo's mixed-media artwork, so rich in subtle detail that children will always find one more thing to look at. Once finished with the story, readers can find more information in a two-page info section on the round shape in nature, using examples from the text. Pair this with the author's Swirl by Swirl (2011) for a shape-shifting trip through the natural world.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)