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fernandie's review against another edition
3.0
Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
backonthealex's review against another edition
4.0
Khalil and his family live in the upstairs apartment of a two family house. Mr. Hagerty lives alone in the downstairs apartment. Summer has come and Mr. Hagerty has been working on his garden in the backyard, while Khalil has been hunting for some interesting bugs and rocks, or just laying in the grass reading a library book. Mr. Hagerty often helps Khalil with hard, unfamiliar words and Khalil helps Mr. Hagerty find his misplaced items. Gradually they become friends, even sharing chocolate cake and cold milk together when it gets too hot. But both are discouraged - Mr. Hagerty with his vegetable garden, Khalil with the lack of good buried treasure. One night, they both get an idea that is sure to make the other very happy. And not only do their ideas work, but they become even better friends, happily enjoying each other's company and celebrating with some more delicious chocolate cake. Springstubb's text is warm, layered, and straightforward, just like the friendship that develops between these two lonely people and Taherian's oil and colored pencil collage illustrations done in a predominately green palette really demonstrates that warmth and layering. I just love a good intergenerational picture books and so do my young readers, most of whom see their grandparents regularly. And my kids got a kick out of the ending. I was only sorry we couldn't explore the illustrations together, but we had to read it on Zoom.
libscote's review against another edition
4.0
I love this one about neighbors helping each other find the treasures they are seeking.
wordnerd153's review against another edition
4.0
Lovely and heartwarming story about intergenerational friendship.
etienne02's review against another edition
5.0
Good and positive story about inter generational friendship, those kind of story always made me feel melancholic about time when young ones could learn from the old smart and gentle neighbor while helping him and nobody was scare or thinking crazy stuff about the old guy, he is just a generous and good old dude, not some crazy maniac... Anyway I like the story, it was simple, but it made me feel good and in the end isn't what story, especially children story, are about!
tashrow's review
4.0
Khalil and his family moved into a new house with two floors. They lived on the top floor and Mr. Hagerty lived downstairs. Khalil’s family was loud while Mr. Hagerty was quiet. Both Khalil and Mr. Hagerty loved the backyard. Mr. Hagerty gardened there while Khalil looked for bugs and rocks. On a hot day in the summer, the two of them had a disappointing day where the carrots were small and shriveled and the ground was too hard to dig for treasure. They took a refreshment break in Mr. Hagerty’s place, sharing chocolate cake and cold milk. Later, both of them had an idea. The next day was much better when Mr. Hagerty found big carrots in his garden and Khalil found buried treasures! It called for more shared cake!
Springstubb shows how two very different people: quiet and loud, old and young, different races, can form a friendship that builds slowly and steadily over time. She keeps her story very focused, allowing many of the details to be shown in the illustrations rather than told in the text. The characters first bond over helping one another with words, which grows into something quite special. It’s that initial acceptance, the creation of a shared space of the backyard, that makes this book work so naturally.
Taherian’s illustrations are done in collage with oil and colored pencil. They have a great depth to them, the layers of the collage offering a real backyard to explore alongside the characters. The colors are vivid and glow with the summer heat and sun.
A lively look at emerging friendship and what it means to be neighbors. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
Springstubb shows how two very different people: quiet and loud, old and young, different races, can form a friendship that builds slowly and steadily over time. She keeps her story very focused, allowing many of the details to be shown in the illustrations rather than told in the text. The characters first bond over helping one another with words, which grows into something quite special. It’s that initial acceptance, the creation of a shared space of the backyard, that makes this book work so naturally.
Taherian’s illustrations are done in collage with oil and colored pencil. They have a great depth to them, the layers of the collage offering a real backyard to explore alongside the characters. The colors are vivid and glow with the summer heat and sun.
A lively look at emerging friendship and what it means to be neighbors. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
debnanceatreaderbuzz's review
4.0
Khalil lives upstairs with his big, noisy family. Mr. Hagerty lives downstairs alone.
Both of them like the backyard. Often they explore for treasures together. But one day they look but neither finds anything. Something will have to be done....
A beautiful story of friendship that can form despite age gaps.
Both of them like the backyard. Often they explore for treasures together. But one day they look but neither finds anything. Something will have to be done....
A beautiful story of friendship that can form despite age gaps.
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