A charming romp to share in anticipation of Passover preparations.
A young bear dons a deerstalker and attempts to solve a Passover mystery.
After the seder, Grandma, who uses a wheelchair, hides the afikomen (a piece of matzah broken during the meal and hidden for children to find afterward). The little bear decides to use Elfie, a toy elephant, to track it down, since “elephants have a great sense of smell.” Turning Elfie into “an Afiko-Sniffer,” the young “Afikotective” searches everywhere: in a bowl of apples, in the fridge, and in the pantry. No luck. Believing that the Afiko-Sniffer must be broken, the bear heads to the tool kit…and finds a surprise. Throughout the story, the bear encounters important Passover foods, such as apples, an egg, and maror. No information is provided about the significance of these items, and while the backmatter defines afikomen (“afikomen comes from the Greek word epikomon or epikomion, meaning ‘what comes after the meal’—or dessert!”), it doesn’t explain the holiday itself; adults may want to add context if sharing this story with children unfamiliar with Passover. Little ones with background knowledge, however, will find it delightful. The story is simple and fun, with vibrant collages that incorporate 3-D elements like photos showing bits of matzah, wool, and ribbon. Throughout it all, this multigenerational family’s love and joy are evident.
A charming romp to share in anticipation of Passover preparations. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2024
ISBN: 9781728475363
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kar-Ben
Review Posted Online: Oct. 7, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Let these crayons go back into their box.
The Crayons return to celebrate Easter.
Six crayons (Red, Orange, Yellow, Esteban, who is green and wears a yellow cape, White, and Blue) each take a shape and scribble designs on it. Purple, perplexed and almost angry, keeps asking why no one is creating an egg, but the six friends have a great idea. They take the circle decorated with red shapes, the square adorned with orange squiggles “the color of the sun,” the triangle with yellow designs, also “the color of the sun” (a bit repetitious), a rectangle with green wavy lines, a white star, about which Purple remarks: “DID you even color it?” and a rhombus covered with blue markings and slap the shapes onto a big, light-brown egg. Then the conversation turns to hiding the large object in plain sight. The joke doesn’t really work, the shapes are not clear enough for a concept book, and though colors are delineated, it’s not a very original color book. There’s a bit of clever repartee. When Purple observe that Esteban’s green rectangle isn’t an egg, Esteban responds, “No, but MY GOSH LOOK how magnificent it is!” Still, that won’t save this lackluster book, which barely scratches the surface of Easter, whether secular or religious. The multimedia illustrations, done in the same style as the other series entries, are always fun, but perhaps it’s time to retire these anthropomorphic coloring implements. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Let these crayons go back into their box. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-62105-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
High-quality, inclusive illustrations make this one stand out.
From the changing season to decorations and costumes, children anticipate Halloween.
Little readers will enjoy all of the familiar markers of the season included in this book: falling leaves, jack-o’-lanterns, Halloween costumes, candy, and trick-or-treating. Everett’s rhyming couplets bob along safely, offering nothing that will wow but enough to keep the pages turning. It’s Wen’s illustrations that give the most to readers, full of bustling scenes and lovely details. A double-page spread of the children in town in front of the candy store includes jars with individually drawn treats and other festive delicacies. The townwide celebration features instruments, creative costumes, and a diverse crowd of people. There are three children who appear as the focus of the illustrations, though there are many secondary characters. One bespectacled White child is drawn in a manual wheelchair, another has dark brown skin, the third presents Asian. The child in the wheelchair is shown as a full participant. Readers will enjoy spotting spooks like a vampire, goblin, and werewolf, as they sometimes appear in the background and other times blend in with the crowd. The familiar trappings of Halloween paired with the robust illustrations will have little readers wanting to reread even if the content itself is not startlingly new.
High-quality, inclusive illustrations make this one stand out. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-7282-0586-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
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