Tiny Little Rocket

On a bright green hill outside of a town, an astronaut climbs aboard a tiny rocket. The rocket zips the explorer out past Mars as the story transitions to a richly detailed cockpit, leaving the reader to gaze outward with the pilot. Secondary to the broad expanse that spans the two-page spread and the many screens and levers tucked cozily inside the rocket, the pilot fades away, leaving young readers room to easily insert themselves into the story: "It whizzes out to deepest space/ while you hold on by the handle./ And there you'll find the golden sun, / our ever-burning candle." Collingridge's text offers a superb sense of rhythm and pacing with strong appeal as a readaloud, and his boldly colored illustrations hint at naturalism while retaining a comforting sense of whimsy. The peppy, little rocket--quickly dodging glowing meteors, navigating between vibrant planets, and zooming readers home to Earth--will leave adventurers eager for more journeys into outer space. Ages 3-5. (July)

Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

PreS-K--This title starts off with a teeny-tiny warning: "This book will make you want to BLAST OFF into outer space!" The tiny print is right-on in that the realistic yet whimsical illustrations will sweep up readers and make them want to visit the beautiful universe Collingridge has created. The story begins with the tiny little rocket blasting off on a rhyming adventure to Mars, the Sun, and narrowly avoiding a collision with a meteor before flying back to Earth. There the tiny little rocket unfurls a banner to say "Happy Birthday World!" celebrating the earth's birthday with a special three-page gatefold that shows the earth surrounded by sparkling fireworks. Taking advantage of the foldout, the reverse side shows our solar system with all nine planets and an explanation of how we celebrate the earth's birthday on New Year's Day. While the illustrations are mesmerizing, the minimal text is much more simple and is merely used as a way to get from one illustration to the next rather than telling a compelling story. In addition, the rhyming scheme doesn't always read smoothly. The illustrations alone should be enough to compel young readers to pick up this book. VERDICT Best for reading aloud, this is an exciting intergalactic adventure to add to picture book collections.--Jayna Ramsey, Douglas County Libraries in Parker, CO

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Praise for Lionheart
"Collingridge's magnificent paintings employ realism, abstraction, and shifting scale. Grand landscapes harmonize with small, supplementary black-and-white drawings. With posture, texture, and sumptuous, glowing colors, Collingridge maintains a delicate balance between high drama and comfort, risk, and safety." — Kirkus Reviews
"A gentle and beautifully crafted tale about fear and imagination." — Booklist
"This fantasy about facing one's fears is well-suited for a bedtime tale or one-on-one sharing." — School Library Journal
"This is a wonderfully inspiring story and gorgeously illustrated picture book about bravery and conquering fear." — Youth Services Book Review
"It's a book that you will treasure and a book that isn't afraid to go to a scary place and confront it." — AllTheWonders.com (online)
"This was a beautiful book that has not only amazing illustrations but also offers a wonderful story of bravery and conquering your fears. The book really allows the reader to be able to see fear in a new way." — Dad of Divas (online)
"Readers will be mesmerized by the beautiful illustrations and magical storytelling in Lionheart. The Verdict: A beautiful book with a heart-lifting story of bravery, Lionheart will have young readers roaring for one more page!" — YA and Kids Book Central (online)