A Pinecone!

May 27, 2024
Once a dark-haired child discovers pinecones on a snowy walk, there’s no limit to their lengths of obsession in this humorous tale by Yoon (Off-Limits). Picking up one pinecone after another, the child names each find and collects them for the trip home. The child’s pale, blond-bearded adult, meanwhile, is in slapstick distress: the family dog pulls the grown-up into a mud puddle, then flings dirt all over indoors. Still solely pinecone-focused, the child slips out through a dog door and continues adding to the collection (“Hello, Uncle Pinecone! Greetings, Great-Aunt Pinecone!”). And when woody objects overflow myriad household vessels, and insects and worms begin wriggling up walls, it becomes clear that the interest has reached new heights. Minimal text is mostly devoted to the child’s fully committed narrative (“With the singing of the Pinecone Family anthem... we will now commence the Pinecone Family reunion!”) and appears alongside a wealth of familial sight gags delivered with affectionate aplomb. Fully and funnily realizing the comedic potential of a child’s single-mindedness, the work also provides a model for rolling with the p... inecones. The final scenes are a visual feast of related decor—and a tribute to the family’s crafting chops. Ages 3–7.

July 1, 2024
A child's love of pinecones and a parent's innovation make for a creative evening. An Asian-presenting child kneels while greeting a pinecone in the grass: "Hello!" The little one attempts to show Daddy--blond-haired and light-skinned--the discovery. But he's busy wrangling the family dog. The narrative consists of the child's terse exclamations as the little one continues to collect pinecones that litter the field near their house. Comically, Daddy lands face-first in the mud, with the pup writhing gleefully beside him. Preoccupied with cleaning up the mess, Daddy doesn't notice as the child continues to collect pinecones. The child's jacket is overflowing with pinecones--so are Daddy's boots, which the little one has grabbed--as the child carries them into the house while naming each one: "Welcome, Princess Pattycake Petunia Pinecone!" The quirky cartoons featuring big round eyes and warm textured backgrounds play up the comedy and charm. When a trail of worms, bugs, and dirt appears, Daddy finally notices...and follows it into the child's room, filled with mountains of pinecones. "I really like pinecones," the child reasons. Daddy's surprisingly accepting--and creative--reaction results in an inspired house makeover. Brimming with humor, mischief, and whimsy. (Picture book. 4-6)

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July 1, 2024
Out for a walk, a child obliviously collects pinecones while Daddy, yanked by their dog, is dragged into a mud puddle. While he tries to clean up the mess at home, the child stockpiles pinecones. Why? "I really like pinecones." The slight text is bolstered by the comical mixed-media illustrations, showing the family's house increasingly overrun with pinecones (and, inexplicably, bugs), and the tired but patient dad who makes the best of it.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)