Review by Booklist Review
In this sweet story, a young, overalls-clad pup named Hector finds wonder in one of autumn's most ubiquitous offerings: the acorn. While walking to school one morning, he picks up an acorn and admires its brown color and knobbly cap. Soon he's pocketing acorns everywhere he goes green ones, squat ones, skinny ones and stashing them in his school desk until there's room for nothing else. When his teacher conducts an impromptu inspection, Hector's hoard is discovered, but rather than scolding him, she announces that Hector is a collector. Soon his classmates begin describing their own collections, and this idea grows to encompass a library's books and the art at a museum. By moving from personal to public assemblages, Beeny helps young readers grasp the concept of collecting, uniting all through the repeated refrain, They were all different. They were all the same. They were all beautiful. Graegin complements the story with gentle illustrations populated by cute, clothed animals eager to learn about the world's unique offerings.--Smith, Julia Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Hector, an ingenuous, overalls-clad dog, is intrigued by acorns: "They were all different. They were all the same. They were all beautiful." Walking to and from school, he's completely focused on finding acorns, which he stuffs into his pockets and desk. Hector's animal classmates laugh at his stockpile when it's discovered, but their teacher assuages his embarrassment, explaining that Hector "is a collector," and the other kids quickly chime in about their own personal collections. Beeny, a curator and art historian making her children's book debut, then broadens the story's scope, showcasing collections that "belonged to everyone," housed in museums and libraries. Graegin (Little Fox Stands Up) gently highlights Hector's intimate connection with the acorns he treasures (as well as the subtle details and differences among them that have caught his eye) before transitioning to the grand public spaces of the New York Public Library, Museum of Natural History, and Metropolitan Museum of Art. It's less a plot-driven story than a concise introduction to the concept of a collection, which an author's note explores in greater detail. Ages 3-6. Illustrator's agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-Hector loves acorns, and he keeps a huge assortment of them in his desk at school. When his classmates discover his stash, they make fun of him. Hector's kindly teacher invites him to explain why he collects them, and he expounds on his passion, showing off all the different kinds of acorns he has accumulated: "They're all different, and they're all the same, and they're all beautiful." Many of the other students have treasured items of their own-pennies, stuffed animals, baseball cards-and from there the narrative segues into a look at larger collections, such as the Museum of Natural History. Graegin's illustrations depict a group of anthropomorphic animals (Hector is a dog, his teacher is a giraffe, and his classmates include a pig, a skunk, a bear, and a fox), all round heads and soft lines. With references to the book's New York City setting (yellow taxi cabs, the New York Public Library), the visuals give the tale a gentle feel that matches the simple, matter-of-fact text. Curator and art historian Beeny ends with a brief author's note on the wide variety of collections out there (the Louvre, the Frick, the New York Transit Museum). VERDICT Though this slight, sweet story could be used to prepare young children for a visit to a museum or art collection, it is probably best shared one-on-one with budding collectors, who will appreciate Hector's curatorial eye and fascination with seemingly ordinary objects found in the natural world.-Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
A quiet introduction to collections, from baseball cards to those in libraries and museums. When dog Hector begins collecting acorns, his classmates laugh. But after a class discussion about collecting, the students realize how special and personal collections can be. Soft mixed-media illustrations show an urban world populated by friendly animals. A note from the curator and art-historian author discusses different types of collections. (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Hector and his classmates learn about collecting.Hector admires the acorns he collects over the course of the fall, so much so that he stores his treasures in his desk. He's momentarily embarrassed when his teacher discovers them and his classmates laugh, but his clever teacher turns this into an opportunity, letting him show and tell, asking classmates about their own collections, and making connections to libraries and museums. Graegin's sketched and shaded drawings, digitally manipulated, colored, and combined, work well in support of this friendly fable. Mammals of all sorts populate Hector's world. The protagonist looks something like a grizzly bear cub; his teacher is a giraffe, and his classmates are of many different species. All wear clothes but no shoes; careful readers may identify them by their feet. Hector's collection, pictured on the front endpapers as well as in the text, is nicely varied. As he admires each one, textual similes are supported by the art: he carries a green apple along with the pair that are apple green; he finds another, "golden and smooth like polished stone," in a pot with stones. There are vignettes, full-page images, and spreads in pleasing variety. The final endpapers include other collectibles. The author's note ends with her point: "Every collection is different. Every collection is the same. Just like all of us." A sweet and child-sensitive addition to any picture-book collection. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
