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32 pp.
| Holt
| October, 2008
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8050-7800-8$16.95
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Hideko Takahashi.
Transported to Minnesota after World War II, an ancient Japanese temple bell is eventually returned to Japan "as a gesture of goodwill." Narration by a fictional Japanese grandmother and an American girl gives the heartwarming story a sense of immediacy, while the appealing illustrations supply historical details about its Japanese setting. An endnote describes the real events that inspired this hopeful book.
32 pp.
| Sterling
| September, 2006
|
TradeISBN 1-4027-2538-8$14.95
(4)
PS
Illustrated by
Hideko Takahashi.
Grownups just love books about sharing; luckily, this one has enough humor to keep the lesson light. Young Gail narrates this story about her reluctance to share her toys with her visiting cousin Claire, despite her mother's gentle reprimands. Becker's rhyming text is singsongy, but Takahashi's bright illustrations match the story's humor: even Gail's toys seem shocked by her behavior.
24 pp.
| Candlewick
| April, 2005
|
TradeISBN 0-7636-2269-9$8.99
(4)
PS
Super Sturdy Picture Book series.
Illustrated by
Hideko Takahashi.
Simple text describes the imagined journey of Matthew's toy truck: "it explores green, leafy forests... / and sneaks under dark, shadowy bridges" while the bright, acrylic illustrations show the truck (with Matthew as driver) navigating around potted plants and under kitchen chairs. The "sturdy" pages of the pleasant but mild story probably won't have to endure repeated readings.
40 pp.
| Dial
| May, 2005
|
TradeISBN 0-8037-2933-2$14.99
(4)
K-3
Dial Easy-to-Read series.
Illustrated by
Hideko Takahashi.
After Mr. and Mrs. Beans adopt a dachshund from an animal shelter, they find that a dog food commercial is being cast and think that little Hotdog would be just right for it. Hotdog worms his way into the casting director's heart, and despite the thin story, he'll charm readers, too. The acrylic art gives all the auditioning dogs plenty of personality.
48 pp.
| Holt
| April, 2004
|
TradeISBN 0-8050-6620-9$$17.95
(2)
K-3
Illustrated by
Hideko Takahashi.
Roemer invites young guests to celebrate the seasons in this excellent introduction to concrete poetry. Most of the poems depend on the background art to complete the concrete picture suggested by the arrangement of words. Far from intrusive, these illustrations provide images that will help youngsters to better understand the poem shapes.
Reviewer: Betty Carter
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
May, 2004
32 pp.
| Simon
| November, 2001
|
TradeISBN 0-689-82600-1$$16.00
(3)
PS
Illustrated by
Hideko Takahashi.
"Snow day breakfast. / Steamy oatmeal in a brown sugar 'n' cream bath. / Plumpy pumpkin muffins." When a snowstorm frees a family from their daily routines, breakfast, play, and even quiet time become special activities in this poetic celebration. Illustrations in bold acrylics accurately reflect the action-packed text, showing both the fun to be had indoors and out.
32 pp.
| Holt
| July, 2001
|
TradeISBN 0-8050-6242-4$$15.95
(4)
PS
Illustrated by
Hideko Takahashi.
A boy receives a new yellow shirt as a gift and pretends to be many different yellow things. He imagines himself as a duck, a lion, a taxi, a caterpillar, and even "a silly banana thumping about the house, telling jokes to my daddy." Cheerful and engaging, the book provides an appealing, if somewhat facile, glimpse of children's play. Bright, childlike illustrations echo the narrator's whimsical point of view.
32 pp.
| Random
| January, 1999
|
LibraryISBN 0-679-98847-5$$11.99
|
PaperISBN 0-679-88847-0$$3.99
(3)
K-3
Step into Reading series.
Illustrated by
Hideko Takahashi.
One little boy's loose tooth takes time to fall out; he goes to the zoo and to school while bouncing about and munching various tooth-extracting foods. The large typeface and the simple word repetition in the rhyming text is suitable for early readers, while the flat illustrations quietly reinforce the comfortably predictable story.
32 pp.
| Holt
| September, 1999
|
TradeISBN 0-8050-6008-1$$15.95
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Hideko Takahashi.
Acrylic artwork shows a mother, father, and grandmother helping a young boy and his baby sister get ready for bed, while the world outside settles down for the night. The quiet, rhyming bedtime prayer, which includes town, country, and home scenarios, describes farm and forest animals at rest, but contains a few awkward, confusing verses.
28 pp.
| Holt
| January, 1998
|
TradeISBN 0-8050-4271-7
(3)
K-3
Colorful, sunny illustrations picture a young girl's day at the beach with her family and small dog. The rhyming text--"splashing / dashing / big wave crashing"--conveys the girl's busy day frolicking in the surf, while soft curvilinear shapes in the double-page spreads reinforce the comfortable tone of the brief text.