SMALL PRINT SECOND OPINION
Most picture books are designed for kids but reviewed by adults. Of course, there are lots of sensible explanations for this trend. But do adults and kids evaluate picture books in the same way?
For instance, do kids really care about the delicate literary tropes that adults consider so meaningful? And do adults get why kids never cease to find the dumb, gross bits of a story hilarious?
To explore this staple of kid lit criticism, we’ve asked pairs of readers -- an adult and a kid -- to answer the same questions about a given picture book as part of a new feature called, “Second Opinion”.
The Legend of Ninja Cowboy Bear (Kids Can Press)
by David Bruins and Hilary Leung.
Oliver, 5, and his mother, Jen DiDomenico-Wong, Acquisitions Editor at University of Toronto Press
What is the book about?
OLIVER:
A cowboy, a ninja and a bear try to see who is the best.
JEN:
Three friends learn about how each has unique strengths.
What is your favourite part? Why?
OLIVER:
The part with the game! Because I like games!
JEN:
When the cowboy envisions the rock challenge in the form of a graph. I love the graphics in the book—entertaining to parents as well as kids.
How did the book make you feel?
OLIVER:
Normal.
JEN:
Happy.
Would you like to see the characters in another story? If so, what would happen?
OLIVER:
Yes. They could try to see who could push the big bear down.
JEN:
Yes, Ninja, Cowboy and Bear would take a trip and have a grand adventure. I imagine Bear piloting a plane, wearing a jaunty scarf.
If you could invite one of the characters over to play for an afternoon, who would you invite? Why?
OLIVER:
The bear since he’s big and he could eat all of the grass so we could plant more things.
JEN:
The cowboy. He would clean up after the playdate with precision and accuracy.
Would you suggest this book to your friends? Why?
OLIVER:
Yes, so they can play the game.
JEN:
Yes, it is clever and cute and has a nice lesson without being heavy-handed. And the game is a big hit.
Want more info about the Ninja Cowboy Bear series of childrens books? visit www.ninjacowboybear.com.
To check out our interview with Ninja Cowboy Bear creators, David Bruins and Hilary Leung, click here
Moon Man (Phaidon)
By Tomi Ungerer
Reviewers:
Julian, 7, and his mother Lisa Kelley, Artistic Director and Founder of The Centre For Art & Soul
What’s the book about?
JULIAN:
It's about a moon man who wants to come to earth, but when he goes to earth, he gets caught and goes to jail. But then he turns into a crescent moon and he turns so small that he slips out of chains and can fit out the window.
LISA:
It's about a kind man who lives on the moon and looks down to earth and wishes he could experience life with humans.
What is your favourite part? Why?
JULIAN:
My favourite part is when he gets to go to the scientist Van der Dunkel's castle, because he gets to go back to the moon where he likes it.
LISA:
My favourite part is when Moon Man escapes from jail by turning into a crescent moon.
How did this book make you feel?
JULIAN:
Good at first when I thought he was happy, but then I realized he wanted to go to earth. So then I felt sad because he got kept in jail. But then I felt happy again, because he got out.
LISA:
Curious to see how it would end.
Would you like to see the characters in another story? If so, what would happen?
JULIAN:
Yes. The moon man would be in Saturn and he would go around the ring on a race car and then he'll fall off the ring and land on earth and then fall into a hotdog stand and eat some hot dogs with pepperoni and cheese. And then when the person who you pay asks for his money, the Moon Man didn't have any. So chances are, if he eats all the hot dogs - he finds a penny on the ground and makes a bank account. Fifteen hours later, he gets the money from his bank account, but he didn't have enough. So, if he didn't have enough money, he'd look for another penny and put it into his bank account. And then he had enough money for the hot dogs. But then, all those hot dogs made him tired, so he went to sleep and as he was sleeping, he turned into a crescent moon and began to float up to Saturn. And he landed on his favourite blue car and then as he rode around Saturn, the blue car snored. So did he. The End.
LISA:
Yes. Many adventures with Moon Man experiencing earth and human life.
If you could invite one of the characters over to play for an afternoon, who would you invite? Why?
JULIAN:
I would invite the Moon Man. Because he was always so nice. All he really wanted to do was to go dancing. I'll teach him how to play with my toys. I'd rather not dance.
LISA:
I'd invite Moon Man. He seems like a very nice character, and perhaps he could help me with my kitchen duties. I could teach him to cook for us.
Would you suggest this book to your friends? Why?
JULIAN:
Probably. Because it's funny and my friends like funny stories.
LISA:
Yes. It's a very engaging story.
Want more info about Moon Man or legendary artist-author Tomi Ungerer’s body of work? Check out www.tomiungerer.com/work/books/moon-man/