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THE PROMISE
by Nicola Davies ; illustrated by Laura Carlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 11, 2014
Valid as metaphor though much less so as a feasible plan of action.
In yet another heavily earnest parable on how nature will provide an easy cure for the physical and moral sterility of urban life, a young thief has an epiphany after scoring a bag filled with acorns.
“When I was young, I lived in a city that was mean and hard and ugly,” begins the narrator, her own heart as “shriveled as the dead trees in the park.” But that heart changes after the old woman whose bag she snatches extracts a promise that she will plant its contents, and off she goes to plant “among rubble, ruins, and rusty railings, by train tracks, tramlines, and traffic lights.” Presto chango, once the oaks grow (with unrealistic speed), people begin to smile again and create gardens as birds gather in colorful flocks: “Green spread through the city like a song....” She goes on to revive city after city with different kinds of trees, until at last, one night, another young thief takes both bag and bargain to carry on. Carlin echoes the tale’s arc with scenes of drab, smudged cityscapes and crowds of hunched figures that are alike transformed with the appearance of colors and of cascades of flowers.
Pub Date: March 11, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6633-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Feb. 11, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2014
CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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by Nicola Davies ; illustrated by Emily Sutton
by Nicola Davies ; illustrated by Jenni Desmond
by Nicola Davies ; illustrated by Catherine Rayner
LITTLE DAYMOND LEARNS TO EARN
by Daymond John ; illustrated by Nicole Miles ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 21, 2023
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES
HORRIBLE HARRY SAYS GOODBYE
From the horrible harry series , vol. 37.
by Suzy Kline ; illustrated by Amy Wummer ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 27, 2018
A fitting farewell, still funny, acute, and positive in its view of human nature even in its 37th episode.
A long-running series reaches its closing chapters.
Having, as Kline notes in her warm valedictory acknowledgements, taken 30 years to get through second and third grade, Harry Spooger is overdue to move on—but not just into fourth grade, it turns out, as his family is moving to another town as soon as the school year ends. The news leaves his best friend, narrator “Dougo,” devastated…particularly as Harry doesn’t seem all that fussed about it. With series fans in mind, the author takes Harry through a sort of last-day-of-school farewell tour. From his desk he pulls a burned hot dog and other items that featured in past episodes, says goodbye to Song Lee and other classmates, and even (for the first time ever) leads Doug and readers into his house and memento-strewn room for further reminiscing. Of course, Harry isn’t as blasé about the move as he pretends, and eyes aren’t exactly dry when he departs. But hardly is he out of sight before Doug is meeting Mohammad, a new neighbor from Syria who (along with further diversifying a cast that began as mostly white but has become increasingly multiethnic over the years) will also be starting fourth grade at summer’s end, and planning a written account of his “horrible” buddy’s exploits. Finished illustrations not seen.
Pub Date: Nov. 27, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-451-47963-1
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Sept. 16, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2018
CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES
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by Suzy Kline & illustrated by Sami Sweeten
by Suzy Kline & illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz
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Review: The Promise by Nicola Davies and Laura Carlin
The promise written by nicola davies , illustrated by laura carlin (walker books, 2013).
Set in a grim, grey, arid urban landscape where ‘Nothing grew. Everything was broken. Nobody smiled’, a girl (the story’s narrator) lives by stealing – until one night her surprisingly strong, old victim will not let go of her bag before she has extracted a promise from the girl to ‘plant them’. The girl doesn’t understand or care what the words mean but she promises, just to get the bag: and from that moment her life changes, for the bag is full of acorns, and by keeping her promise she brings hope into her own life and indeed to all around her… And there is an inspired and inspiring twist to the ending too.
The Promise is a beautiful fable for our times, told simply in poetic prose that stays with the reader and acts as a lozenge rather than a hammer for the book’s strong environmental message. As well as being a call to action and change, it offers hope for the future and a reminder that there are always people who are quietly and unobtrusively committed to making the world a better place, and that their actions have a knock-on effect in inspiring others, even if it takes time for results to percolate: not to mention the rewards that can be reaped from keeping a promise.
The illustrations capture the contrasts between the bleak, grey, hopelessness and the vibrancy of the future where those seeds of hope are planted. The green dots of the acorns expand into still tiny green seedlings, and then there seem to be trees sprouting everywhere: from tin cans, pavements, water hydrants… Birds reappear and rain returns ‘like a blessing’. People start to talk to each other. The narrator never stays long enough in the same place to see these long-term effects, and the illustrations convey the global nurturing that her actions embrace, with depictions suggestive of archetypal Middle-Eastern and Asian as well as Western cities.
The Promise was nominated for the 2015 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal and was selected for USBBY’s 2015 list of Outstanding International Books. The book has its own website , where I wasn’t surprised to learn that the story was inspired by Jean Giono’s The Man Who Planted Trees (1953), for I was reminded of that too. In fact, the stories complement each other beautifully, both highlighting the transformative power of trees, The Promise set in an urban and the other in a rural landscape (and I would so love to see an animated narration of The Promise along the lines of The Man Who Planted Trees ). On the website there are also links to readings of the book, as well as how to act on its message to get out there and plant trees.
Because I love it so much, I can’t resist including the animated version of The Man who Planted Trees here:
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Tuesday 24 September 2013
Review: the promise.
My book review of ' The Promise ' by Nicola Davies
The promise.
This beautiful, but unusual and sophisticated, picture book draws heavily on the classic, familiar tale, 'The Man Who Planted Trees' by Jean Giorno.
Its opening is stark and shocking with a mugging in a bleak city setting. The victim, an old woman doesn't give up her bag and its contents without a fight but finally releases it to her young female assailant, with a puzzling instruction - 'to promise to plant them'.
The girl thief humours the old lady and runs off with her spoils. Initially disappointed that she hasn't gained food or money, the girl looks at the acorns inside and realises that she has been given an unusual gift, and so she vows to take her promise seriously: "I held a forest in my arms and my heart was changed."
The girl plants acorns on roundabouts, behind factories and shopping malls, at bus stops and in the cracked paving of the streets. Little by little over many years, she begins to see how her urban landscape and its downtrodden residents are transformed by the colour and life of the young trees. Cities all around the world are changed until one day a thief strikes again in a lonely alley...
This is a powerful and moving story which will appeal to adults as well as children from five years and above. It is a book to treasure and to return to again and again, providing an inspiring, touching and life-affirming tale.
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The Promise Paperback – 4 Sept. 2013
A picture book of great beauty and hope about the power we have to transform our world. On a mean street in a mean city, a thief tries to snatch an old woman’s bag. But she finds she can’t have it without promising something in return – to “plant them all”. When it turns out the bag is full of acorns, the young thief embarks on a journey that changes her own life and the lives of others for generations to come. Inspired by the belief that a relationship with nature is essential to every human being, and that now, more than ever, we need to renew that relationship, The Promise is the story of a magical discovery that will touch the heart and imagination of every reader, young and old. With poignant simplicity, honesty and lyricism, Nicola Davies evokes a powerful vision of a world where people and nature live in harmony. And Laura Carlin's delicate illustrations capture a young girl’s journey from a harsh, urban reality to the beauty and vitality of a changed world.
- Reading age 5 - 7 years
- Print length 48 pages
- Language English
- Dimensions 25.1 x 0.5 x 26 cm
- Publisher Walker Books
- Publication date 4 Sept. 2013
- ISBN-10 1406355593
- ISBN-13 978-1406355598
- See all details
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COMMENTS
Book reviews News & Features Video Interviews ... But that heart changes after the old woman whose bag she snatches extracts a promise that she will plant its contents, and off she goes to plant "among rubble, ruins, and rusty railings, by train tracks, tramlines, and traffic lights." ... More by Nicola Davies. BOOK REVIEW. RIDE THE WIND.
In ONE TINY TURTLE, Nicola Davies's clear, compelling narrative follows the life of the rarely seen loggerhead turtle, which swims the oceans for thirty years and for thousands of miles in search of food, only to return, uncannily, to lay her eggs on the very beach where she was born. The author's next book, BAT LOVES THE NIGHT, is a tenderly ...
The Promise written by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Laura Carlin (Walker Books, 2013) Set in a grim, grey, arid urban landscape where 'Nothing grew. Everything was broken. Nobody smiled', a girl (the story's narrator) lives by stealing - until one night her surprisingly strong, old victim will not let go of her bag before she has extracted a promise from the girl to 'plant them'.
This picture book is beautiful, both in its presentation and its message of hope. It emphasises how we are all inextricably linked to our environment and celebrates the power we have to transform our world. Title: The Promise. Author: Nicola Davies. Illustrator: Laura Carlin. Publisher: Walker Books, $27.95 RRP. Publication Date: September 2013.
My book review of 'The Promise' by Nicola Davies. The Promise. by Nicola Davies. Recommended age: 5+ Listen to Catherine's choice for the month in November 2013. The Promise by Nicola Davies. This beautiful, but unusual and sophisticated, picture book draws heavily on the classic, familiar tale, 'The Man Who Planted Trees' by Jean Giorno.
About The Promise "This tale is a sturdy one that is made even more emphatic by Davies's terse writing style. The text is heightened in every way by Carlin's outstanding mixed-media artwork." — Booklist (starred review) On a mean street in a mean, broken city, a young girl tries to snatch an old woman's bag.
The Promise - Kindle edition by Davies, Nicola, Carlin, Laura. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading The Promise. ... The text is heightened in every way by Carlin's outstanding mixed-media artwork." — Booklist (starred review) On ...
The Promise. Nicola Davies. Candlewick Press, Mar 28, 2017 - Juvenile Fiction - 40 pages. "This tale is a sturdy one that is made even more emphatic by Davies's terse writing style. The text is heightened in every way by Carlin's outstanding mixed-media artwork.". — Booklist (starred review) On a mean street in a mean, broken city, a ...
Nicola Davies is an award-winning author whose many books for children include Outside Your Window: A First Book of Nature, Ice Bear, Big Blue Whale, and the Silver Street Farm series.Underlying all of Nicola Davies's work is the belief that a relationship with nature is essential for every human being, and that now, more than ever, we need to renew that relationship.
The Promise. Paperback - 4 Sept. 2013. by Nicola Davies (Author), Laura Carlin (Illustrator) 4.7 360 ratings. Teachers' pick for school years 1-9. See all formats and editions. Save 5% on any 4 Terms. A picture book of great beauty and hope about the power we have to transform our world. On a mean street in a mean city, a thief tries to ...
Written by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Laura Carlin. Published by Walker Books ISBN 978-1-4063-5559-8. Review by Rebecca Pomroy. We are introduced to the story of The Promise with the character's broken view of the world with lines such as "Nothing grew. Everything was broken".
That event leads to a promise, a promise to fill the streets with life in the form of planting seeds. A stunning combination of images and words elevates this story to the realms of something truly special. Laura Carlin is so inventive in the ways she manages to convey meaning the reader - colour starts to seep into the pages the more the ...
The Promise. Paperback - Picture Book, March 28, 2017. by Nicola Davies (Author), Laura Carlin (Illustrator) 4.7 344 ratings. See all formats and editions. "This tale is a sturdy one that is made even more emphatic by Davies's terse writing style. The text is heightened in every way by Carlin's outstanding mixed-media artwork.".
The Promise. Hardcover - Picture Book, March 11, 2014. by Nicola Davies (Author), Laura Carlin (Illustrator) 4.7 337 ratings. See all formats and editions. Book Description. Editorial Reviews. An allegorical tale of hope takes on new life in this stirring, gorgeously illustrated story. On a mean street in a mean, broken city, a young girl ...
With poignant simplicity, honesty and lyricism, Nicola Davies evokes a powerful vision of a world where people and nature live in harmony. And Laura Carlin's delicate illustrations capture a young girl's journey from a harsh, urban reality to the beauty and vitality of a changed world. Publisher: Walker Books Ltd. ISBN: 9781406355598.
A chance encounter with another thief perpetuates the cycle of redemption and goodwill. Davies's parable-like narrative leaves a quietly powerful impression while avoiding preaching. Ages 5-9. (Mar.) Publishers Weekly. Inspired by Jean Giono's 1953 story, L'homme qui plantait des arbres, this tale is a sturdy one that is made even more ...
An allegorical tale of hope takes on new life in this stirring, gorgeously illustrated story. On a mean street in a mean, broken city, a young girl tries to snatch an old woman's bag. But the frail old woman, holding on with the strength of heroes, says the thief can't have it without giving something in return: the promise. It is the beginning of a journey that will change the thieving ...
The Promise - Book Review. Written by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Laura Carlin. Published by Walker Books ISBN 978-1-4063-5559-8. Review by Rebecca Pomroy. We are introduced to the story of The Promise with the character's broken view of the world with lines such as "Nothing grew. Everything was broken".
Amazon.com: The Promise: 9781406337280: Nicola Davies, Laura Carlin: Books. Skip to main content.us. Delivering to Lebanon 66952 Update location ... Book reviews & recommendations : IMDb Movies, TV & Celebrities: IMDbPro Get Info Entertainment Professionals Need: Kindle Direct Publishing
Nicola Davies is the award-winning author of The Promise, also illustrated by Laura Carlin, which received a special honorable mention in the Bologna Ragazzi Award fiction category. Nicola Davies's many books for children include Outside Your Window: A First Book of Nature, Ice Bear: In the Steps of the Polar Bear, and Big Blue Whale.
Review of the book The Promise, by Nicola Davis, illustrated by Laura Carlin. ... The Promise. by Nicola Davies illustrated by Laura Carlin. Review posted January 27, 2015. Candlewick Press, 2014. 48 pages. The Promise is a simple picture book about planting trees -- and thus transforming a "sad and sorry city."
As 'green spread through the city like a song, people's hearts begin to change.'. The girl realises the power she has to transform the world with her bag of acorns and travels to the places where she is most needed until it is her turn to hand the bag on. The partnering of Nicola Davies and Laura Carlin is inspired.
Top reviews from other countries Translate all reviews to English. Urvi. 5.0 out of 5 stars Hearts can change. Reviewed in India on January 17, 2024 ... em um livro. E foi uma felicidade ver que toda a história compensava. Pesquisei sobre a escritora (Nicola Davies), que é zoóloga, acredito que por isso seus livros tratam do meio ambiente ...