Picture Book Reviews: Time to Leave, Laverne! & Simon Turns Right

Thanks to the lovely folks at Owlkids, I have the opportunity to talk about two new picture books: Time to Leave, Laverne! by Lana Button and Yong Ling Kang, and Simon Turns Right by Nicole van Brummelen. Enjoy!

Written by Lana Button (Tough Like Mum with Carmen Mok), and illustrated by Yong Ling Kang (Rodney Was A Tortoise with Nan Forler), Time to Leave, Laverne! is a fantastically heartfelt picture book that speaks to emotional regulation and a child (and parents) navigating through explosive reactions. Laverne arrives into rooms with sunshine, showcasing great skills at sharing, and making sure to raise her hand….”but when it [is] time to leave…” places like the library, a friend’s party, grocery stories, or even the park, “Laverne would twirl into a shovel-clutching, swing-screaming, teeter-totter-tantrum-taking thunderstorm!”. It gets to such a point for Laverne’s mom and dad that they simple decide to not go to story time at the library one day: “Better to be safe than sorry”. While at home, Laverne pretends her way through different, imaginary stormy scenarios with her stuffies and gets a fabulous idea: she’ll use her best stuffy friends to get through sad, mad, and disappointed feelings! While big changes in approaches take lots of time and the knowledge that things will never be ‘perfect’, readers get to see Laverne and her parents work patiently together. Author Lana Button continues to create such appealingly relatable characters and conflicts in her books, while artist Yong Ling Kang’s gorgeously expressive yet grounded artwork makes Laverne’s story all the more felt. Readers looking for a well-written, accessible picture book about emotional regulation, or more generally about children (and caregivers) learning to deal with- and feel less alone about dealing with- big emotions, might especially enjoy visiting (and revisiting) Time to Leave, Laverne!.

A very cool and giggle-inducing book that simultaneously encourages readers to practice their own understanding of right-versus-left, Nicole van Brummelen’s Simon Turns Right is wonderful, zany fun. While resting with his flock on an expanse of rocks in the sea, Simon’s feathered friends all decide that it is time to go; and while making sure to reiterate that they are to go left and only left, Simon does, in fact, go right (even while confirming aloud that he is going left). Shortly into his journey, Simon meets a jaunty-capped Sea Lion who directs him to a whale for help…and well, Simon’s search for his flock doesn’t go all that easily. From whales to penguins, to kangaroos to a French-speaking dog, and…a prehistoric friend who has no interest in eating Simon, our seagull friend goes through the gamut of unexpected and hair-raising experiences. Is the story slightly off-kilter in its robust use of the animal kingdom- absolutely! Does that make Simon Turns Right any less enjoyable- absolutely not! Large font is used effectively for dialogue and the directions for turning pages are in white font on red, make the interactive component of this story straightforward to follow. (A particular bonus if you are planning to use this as a read aloud for a preschool and up group!). Readers interested in exploring books with seagull protagonists, or readers who simply enjoy a bright, funny, and interactive story, might especially love meeting wide-eyed, adorable Simon and all of his cool animal friends.

I received copies of these titles courtesy of Owlkids in exchange for honest reviews. All opinions and comments are my own. Titles have been published and are currently available.