SATA
ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: The Not-So-Sleepy Little Panda
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE:
CITY: Chapel Hill
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY:
LAST VOLUME: SATA 243
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born 1965.
EDUCATION:Graduated from University of Kansas.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Artist, illustrator, and picture book creator. Hallmark Cards, Kansas City, MO, former art director.
AWARDS:KIND Children’s Book Award, Humane Society of the United States, 2008, for Before You Were Mine by Maribeth Boelts.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
North Carolina-based artist David Walker has contributed artwork to dozens of bestselling picture books for young children. In his first illustration project, Walker teamed with author Ann Whitford Paul to produce Little Monkey Says Good Night, a humorous story about an energetic monkey’s misadventures at the circus. When Little Monkey learns that he has to go to bed, he bounds into the Big Top to say good night to each of the performers, leaving chaos in his wake. Walker “presents the mischievous monkey’s escapades via soft-edged, slapstick illustrations,” noted a contributor in Publishers Weekly, and Marianne Saccardi wrote in School Library Journal that the illustrator’s “whimsical cartoon paintings are essential to the enjoyment of the brief text.”
Walker and Paul reteamed for If Animals Kissed Good Night, “a charming bedtime book” in the words of School Library Journal contributor Jane Marino. Paul’s engaging text describes how a host of animals—including pythons, sloths, and walruses—prepares for sleep. “Using soft color, Walker renders the nighttime rituals inventively,” Abby Nolan wrote in her Booklist review of the work.
Puppies! Puppies! Puppies! and Kittens! Kittens! Kittens!, a pair of works by Susan Meyers, celebrate the enthusiasm of young animals. Reviewing the former in School Library Journal, Piper L. Nyman remarked that Walker’s “delightful acrylic illustrations are warm and child friendly,” and Ilene Cooper observed in Booklist that the pups have “a stuffed-animal look; kids will want to pick them up and give them a hug.” In Kittens! Kittens! Kittens! Walker’s soft-toned acrylic paintings give Meyers’ text “a warm and fuzzy feeling,” related Martha Simpson in her School Library Journal review.
A youngster adopts a shelter dog after his own pet dies in Before You Were Mine, a poignant story by Maribeth Boelts. Here Walker’s “pastel illustrations use a variety of layouts to infuse the story with emotion,” as Kathleen Odean explained in Booklist, while a Kirkus Reviews contributor wrote that Boelts’s narrative and Walker’s illustrations “combine to pack a small wallop directly to the hearts” of young readers.
In Kim Norman’s Crocodaddy a boy and his father engage in some exciting and imaginative play and in School Library Journal Kathleen Kelly MacMillan gave Walker praise for both “vibrant colors and expressive characters. In Phyllis Root’s rhyming text for Flip, Flap, Fly!: A Book for Babies Everywhere a group of young animals are enjoying a lovely spring day under the watchful eye of their animal parents. “The spaciously composed illustrations are light-filled and cheerily anthropomorphic, the babies clearly overjoyed to be doing their thing,” Claire E. Gross noted in her appraisal of Root’s story for Horn Book, and Julie Cummins commented in Booklist that Walker’s “soft, warmly hued, acrylic art in Flip, Flap, Fly! cheerfully invites young listeners to participate.”
Walker also provided the artwork for Your Daddy Was Just like You and Your Mommy Was Just like You, a pair of children’s books by Kelly Bennett that celebrates the bonds between grandparents and their grandchildren. “Characters’ facial expressions and body language successfully capture emotions, actions, and reactions,” Anne Beier commented in her School Library Journal review of the former title. In Shirley Parenteau’s Bears on Chairs, a quintet of bruins devises a clever solution to a complicated seating dilemma. In School Library Journal Shawn Brommer remarked of this book that “Walker’s acrylic illustrations match the airy lyricism and mood of the text.”
Set in a lush jungle, Susan Middleton Elya’s No More, Por Favor finds a group of young animals frustrating their parents by refusing to dine on their normal fare. According to a critic in Kirkus Reviews, “Walker’s acrylic paintings in rich, primary rainforest colors add appeal to the bouncy … rhyme.” Susan E. Murray, writing in School Library Journal, also praised the artist’s contributions, remarking that his “illustrations are winning, using pastel colors that emphasize the depth and vibrancy of the rainforest.”
In Victoria Adler’s Baby, Come Away, a bedtime tale, four kindhearted animals invite a toddler to join them on a series of fantastic adventures. Walker, wrote a Kirkus Reviews contributor, “provides colorful depictions of the playful action with just the right amount of detail for the very young to enjoy.” Baby Says “Moo!,” a picture book by JoAnn Early Macken, centers on a youngster with a one-track mind. Here “Walker’s … winsome acrylic illustrations are right in synch with the sunny silliness,” a Publishers Weekly reviewer noted, and Judith Constantinides commented in School Library Journal that the “acrylic illustrations are childlike and cheerful, making the book exactly right for toddlers.”
(open new)In Bears in Bed, Big Brown Bear climbs into bed. A storm startles his four little bears, who climb in bed with him. Big Brown Bear comforts them with a calming bedtime story. A Kirkus Reviews contributor suggested that young readers “who are afraid of storms or who have trouble sleeping will want to cuddle up with these five friends.”
Peep and Ducky feature the titularly named characters as the play together at the playground. The enjoy their time and deal with the rough patches before promising to do it all again the next time they meet. A Kirkus Reviews contributor opined that the picture book is “as soft and refreshing as a cool glass of lemonade, and twice as sweet.”
With Night-Night, Sleepy Tight, a young child gets in bed with a book. Inside he sees how animals from all around the world go to sleep, including Peruvian scarlet macaws, Malaysian tigers, and Russian walruses. A Kirkus Reviews contributor opined that “this gentle bedtime book is sweet enough, but it doesn’t exactly break new ground.”
In Boom! Boom! Boom!, a little boy invites his pets to join him in bed as a night-time thunderstorm rattles the household. By the time his sister tries to get in bed, the animals have taken up all the free space. A Kirkus Reviews contributor took note of “the sweet softness and gentle palette of the illustrations.”
Time for a Hug centers on two bunnies and the number of hugs they get throughout the day. The affectionate rabbits go about their normal daily routine but make time to intersperse it with regular hugs. A Kirkus Reviews contributor suggested that the picture book is “worth a pause and may well inspire a hug or two.”
A small rabbit hopes to grow bigger in Margarita Engle’s Tiny Rabbit’s Big Wish. While he believes that only his ears grow, he comes to understand that his small body and big ears give him a strategic advantage over other animals. A Kirkus Reviews contributor observed that the “saturated, velvety acrylic pictures are inventively framed and strike an intriguing balance between sweet and sly.”
With The Night Parade, children get out of bed after their parents are asleep to see what happens at night. They do all sorts of things until they get sleepy and go back to bed on their own. A Kirkus Reviews contributor called it “a fine addition to the bedtime story shelf–it practically croons itself.” In If Not for You, a dog thinks about Bob Dylan while playing with his puppy. He finds it hard to imagine life without the puppy in it. A contributor to Publishers Weekly noticed that Walker “keeps the mood mostly light.”
If Animals Said I Love You considers the sounds animals would make to say “I love you” to each other. A Kirkus Reviews contributor suggested that “adult and child pairs reading this together will find ways to mimic the animals’ ways of expressing their love.” With If Animals Gave Thanks, Paul and Walker pair up again to show animals counting their blessings as fall begins. A Kirkus Reviews contributor opined that “Walker’s cuddly creatures are like stuffed animals come to life, all gentle smiles and dot eyes.”
In Bears and Blossoms, five bears plan an exciting picnic together. A Kirkus Reviews contributor stated: “Another season, another warming tale of bear friendship and fun.” Bears and Boos takes place during Halloween, leaving the bears the task of finding the best costume. A Kirkus Reviews contributor found it to be “enjoyable holiday fare for the littlest trick-or-treaters.” Yellow, Fuzzy, Floppy, and Calico join Big Brown Bear in Bears at the Beach as they construct a sand castle together. A Kirkus Reviews contributor labelled it “a sweet problem-solving romp for the preschool set.”
With If Animals Trick-or-Treated, a varied groups of animals go out on Halloween dressed to scare in costume. A Kirkus Reviews contributor found it to be “a cute introduction to Halloween for youngsters.” A tiny rabbit wonders how he fits into the greater scheme of the world in Here with Me. The rabbit imagines being different animals before deciding that he wouldn’t change anything about himself. A Kirkus Reviews contributor called it “cozy, charming, simple.”
In The Not-so-brave Little Lion, a lion cub is intimidated by the bigger lions’ roaring and their aggressive chasing. But when his friend, Bird gets stuck high in a tree, the lion cub must gather his courage and save Bird. A Kirkus Reviews contributor pointed out that the picture book offers “welcome affirmation that tiny cubs (and humans) can do mighty things.”
With The Not-so-sleepy Little Panda, Little Panda finds he is not ready for bed after a day filled with playing with friends. Mama tries several different things to get Little Panda to sleep until she figures out a night light made from fireflies might take away anxieties of being afraid of the dark. A Kirkus Reviews contributor found it to be “a sweet nighttime offering that will lead to snuggles and yawns.”(close new)
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, April 1, 2005, Ilene Cooper, review of Puppies! Puppies! Puppies!, p. 1359; January 1, 2007, Stephanie Zvirin, review of Kittens! Kittens! Kittens!, p. 115; December 1, 2007, Kathleen Odean, review of Before You Were Mine, p. 47; June 1, 2008, Abby Nolan, review of If Animals Kissed Goodnight, p. 88; April 15, 2009, Julie Cummins, review of Flip, Flap, Fly!: A Book for Babies Everywhere, p. 46; November 1, 2009, Ilene Cooper, review of Bears on Chairs, p. 51; February 1, 2010, Abby Nolan, review of Your Daddy Was Just like You, p. 52; March 1, 2011, Ilene Cooper, review of Baby Says “Moo!”, p. 62.
Horn Book, May 1, 2009, Claire E. Gross, review of Flip, Flap, Fly!, p. 286.
Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2007, review of Kittens! Kittens! Kittens!; September 1, 2007, review of Before You Were Mine; April 1, 2008, review of If Animals Kissed Good Night; May 15, 2010, review of No More, Por Favor; October 1, 2011, review of Baby, Come Away; July 15, 2012, review of Bears in Beds; January 15, 2013, review of Peep and Ducky; February 1, 2013, review of Night-Night, Sleep Tight; March 15, 2013, review of Boom! Boom! Boom!; January 1, 2014, review of Time for a Hug; May 15, 2014, review of The Night Parade; August 15, 2017, review of If Animals Said I Love You; February 1, 2018, review of Bears and Blossoms; August 1, 2020, review of If Animals Gave Thanks; August 1, 2020, review of Bears and Boos; May 1, 2021, review of Bears at the Beach; May 15, 2022, review of If Animals Trick-or-Treated; October 1, 2022, review of Here with Me; December 1, 2022, review of The Not-so-brave Little Lion; January 1, 2025, review of The Not-so-sleepy Little Panda.
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Publishers Weekly, March 24, 2003, review of Little Monkey Says Good Night, p. 74; March 24, 2008, review of If Animals Kissed Good Night, p. 69; July 20, 2009, review of Bears on Chairs, p. 138; January 24, 2011, review of Baby Says “Moo!”, p. 148; October 3, 2011, review of Baby, Come Away, p. 65; Janaury 6, 2014, review of Tiny Rabbit’s Big Wish, p. 57; January 11, 2016, review of If Not for You, p. 55; October 17, 2022, review of Here with Me, p. 59.
School Library Journal, July 1, 2003, Marianne Saccardi, review of Little Monkey Says Good Night, p. 104; August 1, 2005, Piper L. Nyman, review of Puppies! Puppies! Puppies!, p. 103; March 1, 2007, Martha Simpson, review of Kittens! Kittens! Kittens!, p. 182; May 1, 2009, Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, review of Crocodaddy, p. 84 and Kate Neff, review of Flip, Flap, Fly!, p. 87; October 1, 2009, Shawn Brommer, review of Bears on Chairs, p. 100; March 1, 2010, Anne Beier, review of Your Daddy Was Just like You, p. 114; September 1, 2010, Susan E. Murray, review of No More, Por Favor, p. 123; March 1, 2011, Kris Hickey, review of Your Mommy Was Just like You, p. 116 and Judith Constantinides, review of Baby Says “Moo!”, p. 129; November 1, 2011, Anna Haase Krueger, review of Baby, Come Away, p. 78.
David Walker is a bestselling artist and has happily drawn and painted all his life. As the illustrator of more than fifty books, he’s beginning to write them as well, including The Not-So-Brave Little Lion and The Not-So-Sleepy Little Panda. Dave’s days are spent in his Apex, North Carolina, studio in the company of two big snoring dogs, surrounded by paper, pencils, paints, and coffee cups. To learn more, please visit him on Instagram @DavidWalkerStudios.
Parenteau, Shirley BEARS IN BEDS Candlewick (Children's Picture Books) $15.99 8, 14 ISBN: 978-0-7636-5338-5
Bouncy rhyming couplets tell the story of five bears and their bedtime routine. Big Brown Bear is the first to climb into bed, but he is soon joined by four little bears: Yellow, Fuzzy, Calico and Floppy. "Out goes the light! / It's cozy in there. / Five warm beds / hold five tired bears." But the peace is soon shattered by the sounds of a storm that scares the little ones out of their beds and into the safe, snuggly bed of Big Brown Bear. He knows just what to do: read a story "about three bears / and a pesky girl / with golden hair." Soft acrylics in gentle colors complement this bedtime story that ends just where any good bedtime story should--with everyone snoring. Though the rhymes rely on the "there-bear" combination too often, this will be a great story for new readers who want to practice their skills by reading aloud to their younger siblings. Easy to read and a breeze to memorize, these little bears will soon be part of many a bedtime routine. Little bears who are afraid of storms or who have trouble sleeping will want to cuddle up with these five friends. (Picture book. 2-5)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2012 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Parenteau, Shirley: BEARS IN BEDS." Kirkus Reviews, 15 July 2012. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A296121329/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=f041cd37. Accessed 8 June 2025.
Martin, David PEEP AND DUCKY Candlewick (Children's Picture Books) $14.99 2, 12 ISBN: 978-0-7636-5039-1
A new easy-to-read friendship tale is sure to resonate with "lucky, lucky, lucky" preschoolers everywhere. When Peep goes to the playground with his mommy and runs into Ducky and his daddy, the result is definitely lucky. In gentle rhyming verse, the two encounter the usual highs and lows of playground adventures. A trip down the slide might end in a sore bummy, but a little tickle makes everything better. Likewise a small tiff over a bucket might break it in two, but good friends always know how to make up with each other. After a long bout of play, it's time to go home, but the two don't whine, promising instead to play together another time. The couplets make for easy reading, their sing-song quality lending them to large crowds or one-on-one interactions with equal ease. Likewise, the buoyant mixed-media art neatly complements the up-tempo tone. Cute without being cloying, these pudgy feathered stand-ins for child readers are bound to entice small listeners to clamor "Again" when the story's done. As soft and refreshing as a cool glass of lemonade, and twice as sweet. (Picture book. 2-6)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2013 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Martin, David: PEEP AND DUCKY." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Jan. 2013. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A314620744/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=90f77de9. Accessed 8 June 2025.
Jennifer Berne NIGHTY-NIGHT, SLEEP TIGHT Sterling (Children's Picture Books) $9.95 3, 9 ISBN: 978-1-4027-8088-2
A young tot in mauve footed pajamas tucks into bed with a good book. So begins this off-to-bed journey that provides glimpses of sleepy animals around the world. Rhyming couplets introduce both familiar and somewhat exotic creatures preparing to sleep in their cozy habitats. Moose in Maine, a Bahamian iguana, prairie dogs in Utah, Peruvian scarlet macaws, Galap�gos turtles (called turtles, but depicted as tortoises), Australian kangaroos, Malaysian tigers, walruses in Russia and African chimpanzees all appear quite cuddly in soft smudgy acrylics and pencil as they share each page with the child and her tiny white dog. Calm blue-hued backgrounds cue the coming nighttime. A soothing refrain adds a lullabylike quality to the cadenced text: "High on mountains in China, / with a full moon in view, / the pandas curl up / in their beds of bamboo. / Dreaming dreams / under blankets of stars. / Sweet dreams / under blankets of stars." As the bedtime tale comes to a close, the final spread shows the menagerie of animals--imaginary or toy--surrounding the sleeping child in her bed. They "send a nighty-night kiss to their sleepy friend-.You." This gentle bedtime book is sweet enough, but it doesn't exactly break new ground. (Picture book. 2-5)
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"Jennifer Berne: NIGHTY-NIGHT, SLEEP TIGHT." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Feb. 2013. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A316776572/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a4b6c084. Accessed 8 June 2025.
Swenson, Jamie A. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Children's Picture Books) $16.99 5, 28 ISBN: 978-0-374-30868-1
A nighttime thunderstorm results in a crowded bed when a little boy welcomes his pets to snuggle up with him and his teddy bear in this cumulative, rhyming story that is reminiscent of The Napping House but falters a bit in its pacing. As the storm begins, the boy is reading his book when his dog jumps into bed for some comfort as the thunder booms outside. Then a kitten, a guinea pig, a frog, a parrot and even a snake cram themselves into the boy's tiny bed. There's clearly no room when the boy's sister demands to clamber in as well, and despite her brother's protestations, she "jump[s] in with elbows flying," and the bed breaks. In a rather abrupt ending, the other characters all disperse without notice, and the boy snuggles into his broken bed with only his teddy bear and book as the moon and stars shine in a clear night's sky outside of the window. The quickness of the page turn from the bed breaking to this resolution throws off the pacing of the story, and the curious absence of any parents or other adult caregivers in the story may give some children who are familiar with fears about thunderstorms pause, despite the sweet softness and gentle palette of the illustrations. A good but not great good-night picture book. (Picture book. 2-6)
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"Swenson, Jamie A.: BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!" Kirkus Reviews, 15 Mar. 2013. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A322002815/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=7545edbc. Accessed 8 June 2025.
Gershator, Phillis TIME FOR A HUG Sterling (Children's Picture Books) $9.95 1, 1 ISBN: 978-1-4027-7862-9
Gershator (Moo, Moo, Brown Cow, Have You Any Milk, 2011), in collaboration with her mother, offers this sweet, brief rhyming tale celebrating hugs at any hour of the day. Two bunnies, one small and orange and the other bigger and gray, wake up at 8:00 to begin a day chock-full of activities that preschoolers will recognize. Washing faces, getting dressed, baking a pie, playing with puppets, reading a book, bathing, brushing teeth and hopping off to bed are all portrayed in Walker's softly colored full-page and double-page spreads or vignettes. Clearly the rabbits are full of affection. Their relationship could be parent and child, older sibling and younger, or just roommates. As times passes, young readers will enjoy looking for the clock ticking off each hour until bedtime. Most hours prove to be a perfect moment to embrace. "Two o'clock, three o'clock. What shall we do? / Bounce a ball, ride a bike, climb a tree, / go on a hike. Smell a flower, chase a bug--What time is it? / Time for a hug!" The pleasingly predictable rhyme will have preschoolers chiming in all the way to the page where the covers are pulled up. Worth a pause and may well inspire a hug or two. (Picture book. 2-4)
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"Gershator, Phillis: TIME FOR A HUG." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Jan. 2014. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A354178260/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=3d85610e. Accessed 8 June 2025.
Tiny Rabbit's Big Wish
Margarita Engle, illus. by David Walker.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $16.99 (32p) ISBN
978-0-547-85286-7
A little rabbit yearns to be bigger ("He wished for a nose as long as an elephant's trunk ... and he wished for a tail as gigantic as a mountain"), but the only things really growing are his "two long, tall, powerful ears to help him hear every loud or quiet sound in the forest." Tiny quickly realizes that these disproportionate body parts, coupled with his diminutive size, offer a distinct and even life-saving advantage in his ecosystem. Although this book opens like an ordinary animal tale, Newbery Honoree Engle (The Surrender Tree) and Walker (Boom! Boom! Boom!) soon prove that they are subtle storytellers--this "small is beautiful" volume offers readers real food for thought. Walker's saturated, velvety acrylic pictures are inventively framed and strike an intriguing balance between sweet and sly; even the typography gets in on the act, with shifts in size and color that underscore the narration's comic empathy. A sensitive reminder that talents and abilities come in all shapes and, yes, sizes. Ages 4-8. Author's agent'. Michelle Humphrey, Martha Kaplan Agency. (Mar.)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2014 PWxyz, LLC
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"Tiny Rabbit's Big Wish." Publishers Weekly, vol. 261, no. 1, 6 Jan. 2014, p. 57. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A371687505/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=cbf414fc. Accessed 8 June 2025.
Roscoe, Lily THE NIGHT PARADE Orchard/Scholastic (Children's Picture Books) $16.99 8, 26 ISBN: 978-0-545-39623-3
Nighttime can't just be for sleeping; what do toddlers really do at night?"Have you ever wondered what happens at night / while mothers and fathers lie sleeping? // Children wake up. / They climb out of their beds, / some crawling, some / running, some leaping." They gather together and skip through town. They sing songs and bake cakes for the moon. "They build castles of sand. / They paint pictures by hand. / They turn somersault / flips through the park." They dress up and march and read mountains of books and tell each other magical tales. But with each tale, they get dozier and dozier until they toddle back to bed and say goodbye to friends as the moon goes down. Despite one tiny hiccup in the meter at the close, Roscoe's rhyme makes a great rhythmic bedtime tale. Little listeners will be eager to lay down their heads with the prospect of a night's adventure with whales and mermaids. In Walker's watercolors, a multiethnic crew of young, happy revelers marches and plays musical instruments by the light of a smiling moon...a utopia of cakes, costume and play.A fine addition to the bedtime story shelf--it practically croons itself. (Picture book. 2-5)
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"Roscoe, Lily: THE NIGHT PARADE." Kirkus Reviews, 15 May 2014. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A367795270/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=dbd73ae0. Accessed 8 June 2025.
If Not for You
Bob Dylan, illus. by David Walker. S&S/Atheneum, $17.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-4516-4881-2
As a dog savors time spent with his rambunctious puppy, his thoughts turn to ... Bob Dylan. Although the bittersweet text describes how bereft the narrator would be without his loved one ("If not for you/ Winter would have no spring/ Couldn't hear the robin sing"), Walker--with his palette of nursery blues and greens and a cast that resembles cuddly plush toys--keeps the mood mostly light. The winter-without-spring reference shows the older dog kicking back on a green, flower-dotted hill, smiling as his offspring runs after butterflies. At times, Dylan's lyrics force Walker (First Grade, Here I Come!) to slip into something more existential--a mood that can feel out of step with the way children think about the parent-child dynamic. The line "I'd lay awake all night/ Wait for the mornin' light" finds Dad by himself on his bed at 4 a.m., looking up at the moon with an expression of mild anxiety. Is he pondering the inexorable passage of time? His own mortality? The cost of raising kids? Don't think twice, Dad--it's all right. Ages 4-8. (Apr.)
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"If Not for You." Publishers Weekly, vol. 263, no. 2, 11 Jan. 2016, pp. 55+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A440551784/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=5ec152d3. Accessed 8 June 2025.
Paul, Ann Whitford IF ANIMALS SAID I LOVE YOU Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Children's Fiction) $16.99 10, 17 ISBN: 978-0-374-30602-1
Paul and Walker team up again to present the youngest listeners with an "I love you" book.Their previous book If Animals Kissed Good Night (2008) looked at the various ways parents might smooch their little ones and both emphasized the animals' physical traits and provided names for their young. This latest does the former (partially) with regard to animals' actions but, sadly, not the latter. The verses remain bouncy and fun to read aloud, however; in answering the titular prompt, "Secretary bird would type with claw feet / warm, tender words with a click-clack beat," and "Impala would speak with a leapity-leap. / 'I love you, my grandchild, a heapity-heap.' " Love isn't reserved for just parent and child: siblings, cousins, and friends also get in on the act. Walker's adorable animals freely share their love, a gorilla and infant appearing multiple times throughout; the book ends with them snuggled together asleep. Other animals include whale, boa, lion, cheetah, spider, ostrich, and alligator. Only one shows a grouping that could be construed as a nuclear family of two parents and children. Surely adult and child pairs reading this together will find ways to mimic the animals' ways of expressing their love: blowing bubbles and splashing in the tub, a boa-like "squish-hugging squeeze," and playful wrestling. (Picture book. 2-6)
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"Paul, Ann Whitford: IF ANIMALS SAID I LOVE YOU." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Aug. 2017. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A500364819/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=ec3d3ae3. Accessed 8 June 2025.
Parenteau, Shirley BEARS AND BLOSSOMS Candlewick (Children's Fiction) $15.99 3, 13 ISBN: 978-0-7636-9755-6
Five bears enjoy a day of picnicking and playing together under the blossoming trees in this latest in Parenteau's Bears on Chairs series.
Yellow, Fuzzy, Floppy, and Calico are excited to be preparing for a day of adventures together. They pack a picnic basket and kites, and Floppy provides the music with her drum. Big Brown Bear brings the picnic blanket. But before he can taste his honey-slathered bread, the breeze changes to a strong wind, which prompts the small bears to dash off to fly their kites...and themselves, as it turns out. When the wind dies down, Big Bear is there to break their landings, and they all sit down to finally enjoy their honey. Parenteau's meter is a bit mixed in this outing, which also seems thin compared to others in the series. There's no problem-solving: just some mild tension that turns to fun. Mostly it's a tale of friends enjoying a beautiful spring day and one another's company, which offers its own satisfaction. Walker's acrylic illustrations convey the curiosity, wonder, and excitement of the small bears as they walk and play under pink blossom-laden trees.
Another season, another warming tale of bear friendship and fun. (Picture book. 3-6)
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"Parenteau, Shirley: BEARS AND BLOSSOMS." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Feb. 2018. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A525461492/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=77e99e88. Accessed 8 June 2025.
Paul, Ann Whitford IF ANIMALS GAVE THANKS Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Children's None) $17.99 9, 1 ISBN: 978-0-374-31341-8
As summer turns to fall, adorable forest animals count their blessings in Paul and Walker’s newest addition to the If Animals… series.
Rabbit and Squirrel are each thankful for things that keep them warm—Rabbit for his thick fur and Squirrel for her puffy tail. Crow’s thankful for the “great bowl of sky,” and “Raccoon would chir-chirrrrr / thanks for her cub / and nuz-nuzzle him / and rub rubbi-rub.” Frog’s grateful for her “bug-catching tongue and her lily-pad boat”; Beaver, for his oarlike tail. A bit oddly, Coyote howls “thanks for the / bright, sunny day.” Bear makes appearances throughout the pages, collecting clover, then honey, a basket of blueberries, and a fish. Turtle and Skunk round out the thankful friends who all gather round Bear’s laden table. After their feast, they lounge in the grass together, their contented looks saying everything. Paul’s rhyming verses here emphasize some of the sounds forest animals make, the typeset changing color and alignment to suit, and no doubt young listeners and their enthusiastic adults will enjoy voicing them. Walker’s cuddly creatures are like stuffed animals come to life, all gentle smiles and dot eyes. The softly colored palette and rounded edges in the illustrations further add to the sweet mood.
A nature-themed lead-in to Thanksgiving and, for the science-minded, a beginning lesson in adaptations. (Picture book. 2-6)
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"Paul, Ann Whitford: IF ANIMALS GAVE THANKS." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Aug. 2020. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A630892190/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=12b1dadd. Accessed 8 June 2025.
Parenteau, Shirley BEARS AND BOOS Candlewick (Children's None) $16.99 7, 14 ISBN: 978-1-5362-0837-5
Does the box of Halloween costumes contain enough to clothe a passel of bears?
There’s a lot inside that carton: “hats, capes, and bats,” for example, and much more besides. And here come the four excited little bears, eager to comb through the contents to find the right trick-or-treat get-ups. At first, they find just what they want. Then, they simultaneously shout and pull at one another’s pickings as well, each desperately needing what another one has. The hubbub causes poor little Floppy to fall on her rear, so she tells Big Brown Bear she’ll wait until the others are done. Unfortunately, by the time everyone else has grabbed their stash, there’s nothing left in the box but a crumpled-up sash. Contrite, all the other bears willingly share their largesse with Floppy, turning her into the “holiday queen.” She leads the parade outdoors, all the bears dressed in their Halloween finest. This latest in Parenteau and Walker’s Bears on Chairs series is a sweet, brief rhyming tale for very young children that emphasizes kindness and sharing—a fine message for Halloween or any time. The lilting verses move smoothly and rhythmically and express a familiar scenario. The colorful, expressive illustrations are endearing; minimal text and lots of white space per page focus attention on the characters and goings-on.
Enjoyable holiday fare for the littlest trick-or-treaters. (Picture book. 3-5)
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"Parenteau, Shirley: BEARS AND BOOS." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Aug. 2020. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A630892045/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=26c80368. Accessed 8 June 2025.
Parenteau, Shirley BEARS AT THE BEACH Candlewick (Children's None) $16.99 5, 11 ISBN: 978-1-5362-0838-2
Parenteau’s beloved bears are back, this time at the sea.
The sun is shining and the waves are crashing. Yellow, Fuzzy, Floppy, and Calico tromp to the beach, pails and shovels in hand. They are going to build a castle that reaches all the way to the sky! Big Brown Bear is there as well, overseeing the construction. The bears fill the pails with sand (Big Brown Bear comically uses Calico’s bottom to pack it down) and triumphantly overturn them. Oh no! The sand is too dry. They move close to the water to try that sand. But that sand is too soggy! They stare down at the sodden mounds in puzzled consternation. Yellow offers a possible solution: “We’ll build in between. / The sand will be damp / and our towers won’t lean.” They move partway up the beach, and it works! But then, while carving out windows and doors as embellishment, the castle collapses. These five pals are the picture of grit and perseverance. They start again. Will they figure out what changes to make? Walker’s cuddly, roly-poly bears (whose rotundity is echoed by the soft mounds of sand), learn to roll with the punches. Parenteau’s brief quatrains occasionally demand a forced stress, but by and large they scan neatly for a bubbly read-aloud. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A sweet problem-solving romp for the preschool set. (Picture book. 3-6)
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"Parenteau, Shirley: BEARS AT THE BEACH." Kirkus Reviews, 1 May 2021. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A659925004/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=efb06ea3. Accessed 8 June 2025.
Paul, Ann Whitford IF ANIMALS TRICK-OR-TREATED Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Children's None) $18.99 7, 19 ISBN: 978-0-374-38852-2
We've seen how Paul and Walker's adorable animals celebrate Thanksgiving; what about Halloween?
All the Halloween check boxes are ticked for the littlest listeners, and Paul zooms in on Mama and little Owlet at they complete each one: carving pumpkins, decorating, donning costumes, and trick-or-treating. Interspersed among these, other animals join in on the festivities. Bat adds fangs to her pumpkin, and "Hatchling would beg Papa Crocodile / to carve his pumpkin a sneee-eery smile." (Cleverly, their pumpkin croc features an oblong pumpkin carved sideways with successively smaller pumpkins for the body.) Bushes and trees get festooned with spiderwebs and orange-and-black steamers, and, somewhat disturbingly, "Vulture chicks would scat-scatter fresh skeleton bones / close to a cluster of old tombstones." Costumes include the traditional (superhero, mummy, witch) as well as some creative twists (Zebra Foal wears "a costume of spots" that resembles a giraffe's hide; Little Leopard dons a striped costume). Treats match the giver: Parrot gives seeds, Armadillo passes out chocolate ants, and Raccoon offers "garbage-fudge squares." Page turns and line breaks sometimes interrupt the rhythm of the verses, though the rhymes are pretty spot-on. Walker's scenes start during the day and gradually fade to night, when the illustrations almost seem to glow, gentle stars in the sky shining down, and the shared book at the close is the ideal end to a busy day.(This book was reviewed digitally.)
A cute introduction to Halloween for youngsters. (Picture book. 3-7)
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"Paul, Ann Whitford: IF ANIMALS TRICK-OR-TREATED." Kirkus Reviews, 15 May 2022. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A703413969/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=f8e59c9e. Accessed 8 June 2025.
Walker, David HERE WITH ME Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Children's None) $18.99 11, 8 ISBN: 978-0-374-38929-1
A tiny rabbit questions their place in the world.
Holding hands with a larger, bluish-gray rabbit (presumably a parent) on the title page, the little flop-eared protagonist goes on to wonder "who I would choose to be / if I could wish a wish / to be a different kind of me." The rabbit then imagines bounding through the forest as a fox, growling like a bear, and sneaking (and squeaking) like a mouse. "I might choose a zebra. / Wouldn't that be fun? / I'd munch on the grass, / then I'd run, run, run!" But out of all the possibilities, the rabbit always returns home, proudly declaring, "Though if I had a choice / of just who I'd be, / I wouldn't change a thing, / so you'd be here with me." The rhymes are steady and gentle, set against smudgy, dreamlike backdrops in a palette of lush greens and warm, toasty yellows. The rabbit appears envious of others' abilities but always circles back to a connection with family. It's not a tale of self-acceptance or identity but rather unconditional love. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Cozy, charming, simple. (Picture book. 2-5)
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"Walker, David: HERE WITH ME." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Oct. 2022. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A719983023/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=609990a2. Accessed 8 June 2025.
Here with Me
David Walker. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-374-38929-1
"Sometimes I sit and wonder/ who I would choose to be/ if I could wish a wish/to be a different kind of me." A small, tan-furred rabbit sits on a rock in the forest, its fuzzy paw pointed toward its head in an indication of deep thought as it considers the possibilities. What about a fox? "I'd bounce through the forest/ till it was time for bed." A bear? "I'd be big and scary/ with my grrr, grrr, grrr!" Repeated animal sounds offer chances for listeners to chime in. In soft, scumbled painterly spreads, Walker (the If Animals Kissed Good Night series) paints the rabbit meeting the animals and mimicking their actions, its winning face scrunched up in a rabbit smile. Visibly textured strokes add a sense of cuddly fuzziness. After turning to imaginative prospects throughout, the rabbit returns to the security of the familiar world: "But I would never choose/a different kind of me,/ because right here with you,/ is where I want to be." In a sweet solo debut, Walker affirms the importanceof the child's primary bond--and the first stirrings of imagination and independence. Ages 3-6. (Nov.)
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"Here with Me." Publishers Weekly, vol. 269, no. 43, 17 Oct. 2022, p. 59. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A724346143/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a49a5795. Accessed 8 June 2025.
Walker, David THE NOT-SO-BRAVE LITTLE LION Atheneum (Children's None) $18.99 3, 21 ISBN: 978-1-4814-4347-0
A young lion must find bravery within to help a friend.
A pint-sized cub sees other lions roaring and chasing, but those actions are much too intimidating for him. Even his moppy little tail is frightening when it accidentally bops him on the back. Little Lion shares his deepest wish with his friend Bird (who's fairly diminutive herself): "Someday we'll be big, / with no fears at all." But when Bird finds herself at the top of a tree, unable to jump down and unsure how to fly, she cries out in fright. The bigger lions rush to help, but they are much too large to climb the tree. Little Lion gathers his courage and springs into action. "Bird looks at her friend, / her eyes open wide. / 'You've found your BRAVE-- / it was right there inside.' " Inspired by Little Lion, Bird does something quite brave--she flies! Walker's jaunty, gentle rhymes convey both Little Lion's timid nature and his triumphant growth. Soft pencil and acrylic illustrations, relying heavily on muted greens, browns, and oranges, create a cozy environment perfect for this roly-poly lion to finally unleash his roar. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Welcome affirmation that tiny cubs (and humans) can do mighty things. (Picture book. 3-6)
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"Walker, David: THE NOT-SO-BRAVE LITTLE LION." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Dec. 2022. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A729072721/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=f538e471. Accessed 8 June 2025.
Walker, David THE NOT-SO-SLEEPY LITTLE PANDA Atheneum (Children's None) $19.99 2, 25 ISBN: 9781665943857
A young panda is reluctant to go to sleep until the real reason she's been putting off bedtime comes to light.
Little Panda plays all day with her friends, but when it's time to climb into bed, she isn't ready. She tries to explain to Mama that her friends are still up, so why can't she stay awake, too? Mama tiptoes with her through the forest to show her that Bird, Monkey, and Little Lion are all fast asleep. Back at home, Little Panda grumbles that her pillow is too thick, and she's hungry and even a little thirsty, too. Mama and Papa try reading aloud and singing, but nothing helps. Finally, Little Panda admits that she's afraid of the dark. Mama thoughtfully asks some fireflies if they'll share their light; they agree, and Mama fills a jar with a few insects--a makeshift night light! Walker's gentle rhymes ("Come, my sweet girl, day's turned into night. / So drift off to sleep and close your eyes tight") will lull readers to sleep even amid Little Panda's protests. Mama and Papa meet every obstacle with reassurance and patience (though their eyes become increasingly drowsy, and their heads droop down). Smudged greens, blues, and purples wrap readers in a cozy nighttime blanket, getting them ready for sleep, too.
A sweet nighttime offering that will lead to snuggles and yawns.(Picture book. 2-5)
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"Walker, David: THE NOT-SO-SLEEPY LITTLE PANDA." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Jan. 2025. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A821608492/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=f952e21d. Accessed 8 June 2025.