Toni YulyBesprekingen

Genre
Picture books for children
Storytime standouts
Illustration
Big and bold
Cartoony
Subject
Cats
Hide-and-seek (Children's game)
Kittens
Naps (Sleep)
Repetition in stories

Genre
Picture books for children
Tone
Feel-good
Sweet
Illustration
Cartoony
Subject
Birds
Courage
Night
Owls
Storms
Search

A brother and sister are left behind by their tour guide all alone inside an old gloomy prison tower.

Night Owl loves the nighttime! He can see everything, but when he doesn't see Mommy Owl, he starts to listen. With language that emphasizes sound words and listening skills, this is a reassuring bedtime story for little night owls everywhere.

The goal of this book is to look at emotions and how they might represent in life, or in this case in the life of a starfish. It is a very simple book. Ollie feels fine, he feels afraid, etc. But rarely do they give a reason for this feeling. The reader is to infer from the pictures, but as a book designed for the youngest, I think the wording on the reason needs to be there.

This is a beautifully illustrated children's picture book that is about a little girl and how she is a part of the world around her. It is peaceful and relaxing to read and would make a great bedtime story for your toddler or preschooler. I love the simple message, that we too are a part of our bigger world.

Thank you to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for this advanced copy, my opinions are my own.

Toni Yuly, after having been a children's librarian, has a great grasp of what kind of books will work well with toddlers and preschoolers. This sweet back-to-school story is perfect in many ways, and not only works well as a traditional back to school story, it also fits into our current confusing pandemic situation.

Mona, a smiling red-headed girl who looks about 5, is excited to return to school. Her little brother Milo, who looks about 3 and wears glasses, wants to know what school is all about. As Mona explains, she and Milo recreate school activities at home and outdoors. At school they ride a school bus, while at home Mona pulls Milo in a red wagon. At school they learn about science, while at home the two marvel at different insects in nature. They count sunflower petals and patterns and birds when Mona thinks about the math they do at school, sit quietly together, and run around outside. The story ends with Milo saying "school sounds fun!" and Mona agreeing, putting a "school bus" sign on the wagon so they can keep playing together.

Yuly's art is bright and simple, with bold colors, simple shapes, and clear contrasts against the white background. The simple text not only prepares young readers for some of the activities they might do at school, but gently implies how they can do those same activities at home, showing how kids can learn anywhere.

Verdict: This is a must-have book for toddler and preschool storytime and for daycares and preschools. The celebration of learning, nature, and two loving siblings is excellent and the simple text and bold, contrasting colors of the art are just right for young eyes. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781536202830; Published June 2020 by Candlewick; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

I really liked this one! The illustrations are cute and I love any book that gets me to make animal sounds.

Cute! Simple story and illustrations, but really move-y - I pictures all the actions I would make the kiddies do when reading this one for storytime.

With minimal words, The Whole Wide World and Me attempts to portray an idea which may be too large for young grasp. The running metaphors ground us back to our connection to nature and the world in a growing apart from it. Beautiful illustrations reminiscent of eric Carl reflect the beauty and simplicity in which this connection could be seen. While the concept may be out of the grasp, some children will enjoy the empowerment they feel in reading many of the common sight words on their own.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

The Whole Wide World and Me was a quick read with interesting pictures, but I don't think it really said anything. The young girl compares herself to a flower, a cloud, a rock rolling down the hill -- all things that occur with very few people noticing. Based on the synopsis, it was a book about being a small part of a larger world, although I wish the focus of the story had been a little more obvious. I don't think it's something children will easily understand, and isn't that the point of a children's book?

This review can also be found at Do You Dog-ear? on February 4, 2019.

I feel like it's getting harder and harder to find picture books that are truly aimed at toddlers, not preschoolers or grade school children. Something simple that really little kids can enjoy and appreciate in storytime. One of the authors I depend on is Toni Yuly and her new book does not disappoint.

Simple illustrations in collage, charcoal, and digital collage show the big and small, all part of the world. The spreads show a dandelion, fish, and cloud first large and then on the following page small in relation to the unnamed girl. The second half of the book shows the the girl creating actions - rolling like a pebble down the mountain, splashing like a wave, and floating like a leaf. On the final spreads, the girl celebrates that she is a small and a big part of the whole world she sees around her.

Yuly's illustrations are bright and colorful, simple with just a few tiny details, like a ladybug, to find. Vibrant greens, soothing blues, and spiky yellow dandelions are spread through the book, with simple actions performed by a girl with straight black hair, pale skin, and a purple skirt, shirt, and green boots.

This would be a great storytime choice for toddlers, the simple language and bright collage illustrations catching and holding their interest. They can search for the little ladybug that appears throughout the story and identify simple parts of nature. Toddlers will also be great at trying out the different actions, floating, rolling, wiggling like a fish, and more. For older kids, pair this with other concept books like Anna Kang's You are (not) small and Henry Cole's Big Bug for a storytime on size and perspective.

Verdict: The clean lines and joyful, minimal language will make this a storytime staple for many ages. Recommended.

ISBN: 9780763692636; Published February 2019 by Candlewick; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

Simple text and colorful illustrations showing how we are all connected. Audience Pre-K.

Sweet, simple read during our Pre-K conservation unit.

Sweet and simple, but colorful and engaging. Being connected to nature and how that lifts your spirit is sweetly portrayed through the cute pictures and easy text.

Author Toni Yuly reminds us that we are all connected, not only to each other but to the natural world that surrounds us, as well. A charming story told in large, simple text and bright, bold colours of a young girl discovering her unique connection to the wonders of nature. "I am a leaf that floats from a tree. I am a small part of it all. The whole wide world...and me."

A lovely story that opens the door to endless conversations about the beauty and importance of nature and our relationship with the world around us.

Thank you to LibraryThing for selecting me a a winner of this delightful book.

A simple meditation on our connectedness to all of nature. Lovely cut-paper illustrations depict a young girl exploring the world around her. The accompanying words are minimal, and I'm left wishing there was a bit more substance to them; there's really not much of a story here. The distribution of sentences across the pages also feels a bit odd (the first sentence takes up 7 spreads, while some later sentences are one per page). I wonder if the book might feel more satisfying in board book form - I think it would likely appeal more to toddlers and preschoolers than elementary age children.

I can imagine sharing this book with a preschool age child. The illustrations are simple and brightly colored. The text is simple as well. A child could feel very comforted knowing how he/she is part of the surrounding world. A simple concept and beautifully done.

Simple picture book with cute illustrations. I felt that it could have been longer - it is only five sentences over 32 pages. The back of the book says "The natural world is full of wonders - and each of us is a small part of that." I wished the story would have more obviously referenced this for young children to understand the main point and meaning of the book.

Beautiful, meditative book about a child's connection to nature. Bright colors are sure to catch the reader's eye.

Thank you to Candlewick Press and LibraryThing for the advanced copy of this book!*
*This did not affect my review or rating.

This is a charming book with simple text and colorful but not busy collage-type illustrations. In the book the girl thinks about herself in relation to nature and the world - like a tree, flower, water, etc. The girl appears calm and at peace with figuring out how she relates to the world. I can see this being a really great jumping off-point to talk about feelings, nature, and to help preschoolers and early grade children think about how they can relate to nature and community.

I can see this being a great book for thinking about nature in an urban setting as well-- flowers, the sky, etc.

Shoutout to the author who is in Bremerton, WA -- local (to me) author. And +1 for featuring a child who could be Asian. I appreciate having children of color featured in books.

I've yet to try it with a toddler, but it doesn't offer a lot to go on. The illustrations do offer a child-like focus on small, and then put that focus in a larger frame, but that's really the only story here.

Simple text and colorful illustration help a little girl see herself in the world.