An effective and festive approach to self-affirmation.
A reindeer searches for the secret of flight in this debut illustrated children’s book.
Unlike his illustrious brother, Rudolph, Ranger is a reindeer who can’t fly. His job at Santaland, North Pole, is merely to pull Santa’s utility sleigh. It’s late November, and Ranger is now old enough to be hitched to the big sleigh. More than ever, he wants to fly. A wise old elf advises that “if you really are ready to be put to the test, you will figure it out on your own. So I will answer your question this way: The secret lies within!” Everyone else tells him the same thing, but no matter how much Ranger searches places that could hold the hidden secret, he can’t find it. When some reindeers fall sick only days before Christmas, Ranger offers to travel to a village for special medicine. It’s a three-day round trip and time is short, so he must hurry. Several obstacles slow Ranger down, and on the way home, a giant ice chasm makes ground passage impossible. Realizing that there’s only one way to save Christmas, Ranger digs deep to find the ability to fly—not elsewhere, but within. In his tale, Salisbury gives his inspirational message appealing suspense and drama, which keeps it from being overly preachy. That Ranger needs a moment of crisis to discover inner strength makes emotional sense, and the support he gets is a superb contrast to Rudolph’s mean reindeer friends. For kids who celebrate Christmas, the setting also taps into the fun of the season. Baird provides digital images that are somewhat flat and geometric but possess charm and offer vivid details, such as shelf labels in the workshop that include “Cookies,” “Paint,” “Wheels,” and “Cocoa.”
An effective and festive approach to self-affirmation.Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-62652-333-3
Page Count: 50
Publisher: Jabberwocky Books
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
Sugary uplift, shrink-wrapped for the masses.
An elusive new quarry leads the How To Catch… kids on a merry chase through a natural history museum.
Taking at least a step away from the “hunters versus prey” vibe of previous entries in the popular series, the racially diverse group of young visitors dashes through various museum halls in pursuit of the eponymous dino—whose quest to “spread kindness and joy ’round the world” takes the form of a mildly tumultuous museum tour. In most of Elkerton’s overly sweet, color-saturated scenes, only portions of the Loveosaurus, who is purple and covered with pink hearts, are visible behind exhibits or lumbering off the page. But the children find small enticements left behind, from craft supplies to make cards for endangered species to pictures of smiley faces, candy heart–style personal notes (“You Rock!” “Give Hugs”), and, in the hall of medieval arms and armor, a sign urging them to “Be Honest Be Kind.” The somewhat heavy-handed lesson comes through loud and clear. “There’s a message, he wants us to think,” hints Walstead to clue in more obtuse readers…and concluding scenes of smiling people young and otherwise exchanging hugs and knuckle bumps, holding doors for a wheelchair rider, and dancing through clouds of sparkles indicate that they, at least, have gotten it. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Sugary uplift, shrink-wrapped for the masses. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Dec. 6, 2022
ISBN: 9781728268781
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Jan. 17, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2023
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