Review by Booklist Review
This collection of lovely poetry comes together with warm, loving illustrations to show how extraordinary everyday life is. Double-page spreads full of life and love pair one poem with a depiction of the narrator, a young girl using her pencil (aka her magic wand) to share verses as she spends time extolling life by sledding with her dog, vacationing with her family, gardening, rafting, celebrating birthdays, and attending a special funeral for her friend's dear pet snail. Spanish words are sprinkled throughout, with each entry opening up the senses with words such as muzzle, munch, and sparkling. Each spread, vibrant with color, will have readers lingering as they seek all the treasures detailed in the art. All these special moments are sure to return readers to their own worlds with new eyes that will easily spot the magic all around, which they will want to make into their own poems using their own "wands." A wonderful addition to children's-poetry collections.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1--The titular poem of this charming collection introduces a five-year-old girl who's found magic in a pencil and is eager to share it. From there, 13 first-person poems take readers through a year of experiences with family and friends, including sledding, gardening, and swimming, baking, birthdays, and caring for pets. The poems vary in length, from a few lines to several stanzas, and are accessible yet evocative. the author uses some figurative language-- notably onomatopoeia and sensory detail. In one poem, the girl and her family travel to Mexico, and Spanish words are sprinkled throughout. The girl is depicted with white skin, blond hair, and blue eyes. Other family members and characters appear to have white or light brown skin and dark hair. Alvarez's mixed-media illustrations are bold, bright, and colorful. While some spreads are relatively simple, others offer sweet details for observant readers to notice. An author's note reminds readers that not all poems rhyme and encourages them to try crafting their own poetry. VERDICT Warm and joyful, this is suitable for most collections.--Lauren Strohecker, McKinley Elem. Sch., Elkins Park, PA
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Poems with kid appeal. In the opening, titular poem, the main character declares that she is 5 years old. The poems that follow encompass the four seasons and explore topics that are meaningful to the age group, such as art projects, gardening with Mom, taking care of a pet, and more. The poems are accompanied by vivid illustrations to bring the symbolic language to life. Mora makes use of alliteration, onomatopoeia, and refrain to keep verses interesting. She reminds readers in the author's note that not all poems rhyme, and she demonstrates this with a compilation of poems that largely don't but still provide satisfying read-aloud potential. Each poem is a snapshot of what feels most important to a kindergarten-age child, including the death of a friend's pet snail. As the poems continue, the passage of time is indicated with the lengthening of the protagonist's hair, and the collection ends with a sixth birthday party illustration and poem. A handful of Spanish words and phrases appear in several poems, including one titled "Speaking Spanish," in which the family travels to Mexico, but it is not a bilingual book. The main character, modeled on Mora's granddaughter, has peach skin with blond hair and brown eyes. Other characters appear to have light brown or white skin and brown hair and eyes. A sweet first poetry collection takes young readers through the seasons. (Picture book/poetry. 4-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
