A colorful celebration of creativity and Deafness.
Philomena creates a superhero and goes on a fabulous adventure in her own imagination.
As the story begins, Philomena is exploring a jungle when her father interrupts to insist that she clean up her living-room blanket fort and wear her hearing aids. Her hearing aids are annoying and loud, and she would much rather sign than listen and speak. Philomena, who has light skin and straight black hair, wants to live and play in her own way—not the way others think she should. She doesn’t want to read about a sad deaf woman; she wants to create an awesome superhero! In her room, she imagines a cast of colorful heroes, monsters, and robots to entertain her. The human characters are racially diverse—though one unfortunately plays into Asian stereotypes—and some use wheelchairs. As Philomena daydreams, Sanfelippo’s vibrant illustrations grow to fill the page and bring readers into Philomena’s world. The actual plot is thin, but the lively text and illustrations usher readers from one page to the next. It is a delight to see Philomena unapologetically reject hearing aids and speech and take joy in signing. Pottle shows readers the rich inner life of a Deaf child and directly counters the tragic narrative of deafness while telling a fun story that any young reader could enjoy. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at 20.1% of actual size.)
A colorful celebration of creativity and Deafness. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4788-6812-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Reycraft Books
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn.
A young owl achieves his grand ambition.
Owl, an adorably earnest and gallant little owlet, dreams of being a knight. He imagines himself defeating dragons and winning favor far and wide through his brave exploits. When a record number of knights go missing, Owl applies to Knight School and is surprisingly accepted. He is much smaller than the other knights-in-training, struggles to wield weapons, and has “a habit of nodding off during the day.” Nevertheless, he graduates and is assigned to the Knight Night Watch. While patrolling the castle walls one night, a hungry dragon shows up and Owl must use his wits to avoid meeting a terrible end. The result is both humorous and heartwarming, offering an affirmation of courage and clear thinking no matter one’s size…and demonstrating the power of a midnight snack. The story never directly addresses the question of the missing knights, but it is hinted that they became the dragon’s fodder, leaving readers to question Owl’s decision to befriend the beast. Humor is supplied by the characters’ facial expressions and accented by the fact that Owl is the only animal in his order of big, burly human knights. Denise’s accomplished digital illustrations—many of which are full bleeds—often use a warm sepia palette that evokes a feeling of antiquity, and some spreads feature a pleasing play of chiaroscuro that creates suspense and drama.
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-316-31062-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2022
An immersive, charming read and convincing proof again that even small bodies can house stout hearts.
Can knightly deeds bring together a feathered odd couple who are on opposite daily schedules?
Having won over a dragon (and millions of fans) in the Caldecott Honor–winning Knight Owl (2022), the fierce yet impossibly cute nocturnal, armor-clad owlet faces a new challenge—sleep deprivation—in the wake of taking on Early Bird, a trainee who rises with the sun and chatters interminably: “I made pancakes! Do you like pancakes? I love pancakes! Where’s the syrup?” It’s enough to test the patience of even the knightliest of owls, and eventually Knight Owl explodes in anger. But although Early Bird is even smaller than her mentor, she turns out to be just as determined to achieve knighthood. After he tells her to leave, she acquits herself so nobly in a climactic encounter with a pack of wolves that she earns a place at the castle. Denise proves a dab hand at depicting genuinely slinky, scary wolves as well as slipping cheerfully anachronistic newspapers and other sight gags into his realistically wrought medieval settings to underscore the tale’s tongue-in-cheek tone. Better yet, a final view of the doughty duo sitting down together to a lavish pancake breakfast/dinner at dusk ends the episode in a sweet rush of syrup and bonhomie.
An immersive, charming read and convincing proof again that even small bodies can house stout hearts. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2024
ISBN: 9780316564526
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
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