A sweet and inspiring tale of pursuing a dream.
A young boy shows his love for music as he plays his accordion in Pérez’s bilingual illustrated book for children, based on a true story.
Arty is a boy who’s in love with art. He enjoys going to the library, where he looks through encyclopedias to study musical instruments; he especially likes accordions, even if they’re too expensive for his family to purchase one. Still, he finds it difficult to let go of the dream of playing it: “He imagined playing with an orchestra or with a norteño band, wearing a fringed jacket.” He comes from a music-loving family, so his farmworker parents understand his yearning. At the music store, the owner is so moved by the boy’s love of the accordion that he decides to give him a loaner as the youngster saves up money from doing odd jobs. After a year, he’s much better at playing the accordion that he was when he first received it; he’s even won the city’s talent show. Finally, he can have his very own accordion. During grape-picking season, he has another opportunity to spread hope by playing music to immigrant workers, and he makes his parents and community happy and proud. As an adult, he continues to use music to help his community. Arty, who’s based on a real-life boy from California, is a likable and charismatic protagonist in these pages; his determination is inspiring and his passion relatable. Sosa’s brightly colored cartoon art style is entertaining and the strongest point of the book. The text in English and Spanish is a bit long and may be difficult for a very young reader to follow without an adult guiding them. The book’s bilingual aspect is handled well and will interest both bilingual children and others hoping to learn words in a new language.
A sweet and inspiring tale of pursuing a dream.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 978-0985110918
Page Count: 30
Publisher: Writers Groups & Press of Ventura & Beyond
Review Posted Online: Aug. 18, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.
Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
A nice but not requisite purchase.
A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.
Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.
A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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