10/23/2017
Crane, Dozer, and Digger work together to build everything that’s needed for a city: buildings, bridges, and roads. Then Digger spies a single blue flower, and he’s besotted. “Hello, there,” he greets it. While Crane and Dozer build on, Digger waters the flower, shields it from the wind, and sings to it. But the lot on which the blue flower stands is the last empty site in the city; in a scene that may be difficult for sensitive readers, Dozer summarily cuts the flower down. Shaken, Digger finds a way for the flower to live on. The image of the clunky piece of construction equipment tenderly caring for the fragile plant gives the story charm, and so do its strong, simple images. The red, orange, and school-bus yellow of the vehicles stand out against the black-and-white buildings, and the landscape is textured with halftone dots, like close-ups of old newspaper photos. Kuefler (Rulers of the Playground) doesn’t try to make readers laugh; Digger’s project is treated with a seriousness that befits a tale about the conflict between civilization and nature. Ages 4–8. Agent: Elena Giovinazzo, Pippin Properties. (Jan.)
Kuefler imbues the text with the heart and soul of the best storytime fare… One couldn’t hope for a better tale of rebirth and regeneration” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Kuefler’s simply written and beautifully illustrated tale has a powerful message about the importance of the environment...A wonderful, inspiring tale, perfect for read-alouds.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
“The image of the clunky piece of construction equipment tenderly caring for the fragile plant gives the story charm, and so do its strong, simple images.” — Publishers Weekly
Praise for RULERS OF THE PLAYGROUND: “Children struggling with tyrants (or the impulse to dictate) will find both laughter and comfort in Kuefler’s playground, full of recognizable experiences, faces, and feelings....winning satire for the jungle-gym set.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Praise for RULERS OF THE PLAYGROUND: “[A] playful lesson in camaraderie and social etiquette” — Booklist
Praise for BEYOND THE POND: “A witty, auspicious debut…[with] echoes of Jon Klassen and Wes Anderson.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Praise for BEYOND THE POND: “[A] tale of transformation and wonder…reminiscent of Sendak’s Max and his Wild Things.” — School Library Journal
Praise for BEYOND THE POND: “This lovely picture book is a tribute to imagination and the wonder in everyday spaces…will resonate with young readers.” — Booklist
Praise for RULERS OF THE PLAYGROUND: “[A] playful lesson in camaraderie and social etiquette
Praise for RULERS OF THE PLAYGROUND: “[A] playful lesson in camaraderie and social etiquette
★ 12/01/2017
PreS-Gr 2—Each day, the trucks hoist, push, and dig as they work together to build tall buildings, long roads, and big bridges. The work is the same day after day until one day Digger is inspired to make a change. Upon the discovery of a tiny and beautiful blue flower in the rubble, Digger decides to care for the flower by watering it, shielding it from wind and rain, and even singing the flower bedtime lullabies. After the flower is destroyed, Digger travels past the farthest building and far away to scatter the seeds of the tiny blue flower. His decision will change his life and the city forever. Kuefler's simply written and beautifully illustrated tale has a powerful message about the importance of the environment. The brightly colored and textured digital art displays contrast between the black and gray of the city and the blues and greens of the natural world that Digger works so hard to preserve. With one small choice, Digger plants the seeds of change. And despite the giant skyscrapers that he left behind, he makes his own lasting mark by growing lovely blue flowers. VERDICT A wonderful, inspiring tale, perfect for read-alouds. Great for all libraries.—Elizabeth Blake, Brooklyn Public Library
★ 2017-09-26
An altruistic excavator finds life's meaning when it stops to smell the flowers. This sweet, succinct tale begins with three big trucks poised to build a town where there is none. The crane and the bulldozer are content with their lot, but everything changes for the digger the minute it spies a single, solitary blue blossom in the center of the new town. Abandoning his mission with a sudden, botany-based change of heart, Digger visits, tends, protects, and serenades the delicate flower. Progress has little time for horticulture, however, and soon the bloom is cruelly cut down. Yet as it turns out, the digger's talents are perfect for the planting of new seeds. The last image of the book is a silent and hopeful spread of the cold, colorless town backgrounding the slow spread of new, tender little blue sprouts. Kuefler imbues the text with the heart and soul of the best storytime fare. The digger didn't just plant something, he "tucked the seeds into the warm earth." The repetition of comforting cadences softens the stark, spare, square design. In the midst of all that urban progress, the lonely blue petals offer stark relief.Short of Maryann's abandoning Mike Mulligan for a life of conservation and gardening, one couldn't hope for a better tale of rebirth and regeneration in the face of unchecked industrial sprawl. (Picture book. 3-7)
