A buoyant tribute to a child’s inquisitiveness and the family that encourages it.
A bilingual child progresses through the world surrounded by balloons.
Questions bursting to be asked float over Eva’s head, tethered by everything from the bedposts to the child’s wrists. Questions that can’t always be answered right now bide their time: “Who named all the colours?” “¿Qué vamos a comer mañana?” Sometime Eva’s parents are too busy to respond; sometimes Eva’s exuberance bursts and questions POP OUT! But, eventually, the adults in Eva’s life—Mama, Papá, Eva’s teacher Mrs. McGregor—help the child find the answers, or Eva dreams them up. Supported by a loving family, the irrepressible Eva knows how much they are loved, that Abuelita (“on-the-screen in Peru”) is glad Eva’s eating sopita, and that tomorrow will bring more questions. With a deft touch, Moreno tackles childhood curiosity, emotional learning, and a bit of science (outer space figures prominently in some of Eva’s questions) and shows that within a safe, loving environment, young people can flourish. The text is primarily in English, with some questions in English and others in Spanish, and some hard-hitting topics are introduced: “Why do some people have no home?” Vélez’s creative portrayal of Eva’s accumulation of questions adds visual humor. The colorful, whimsical balloons bob and weave from frame to frame, mirroring Eva’s endearing impatience. Mama is light-skinned; Papá, who is Peruvian, is brown-skinned; Eva is brown-skinned, and Mrs. McGregor presents as Black. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A buoyant tribute to a child’s inquisitiveness and the family that encourages it. (glossary of Spanish words) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-78250-776-5
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Floris
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions.
Ellis, known for her illustrations for Colin Meloy’s Wildwood series, here riffs on the concept of “home.”
Shifting among homes mundane and speculative, contemporary and not, Ellis begins and ends with views of her own home and a peek into her studio. She highlights palaces and mansions, but she also takes readers to animal homes and a certain famously folkloric shoe (whose iconic Old Woman manages a passel of multiethnic kids absorbed in daring games). One spread showcases “some folks” who “live on the road”; a band unloads its tour bus in front of a theater marquee. Ellis’ compelling ink and gouache paintings, in a palette of blue-grays, sepia and brick red, depict scenes ranging from mythical, underwater Atlantis to a distant moonscape. Another spread, depicting a garden and large building under connected, transparent domes, invites readers to wonder: “Who in the world lives here? / And why?” (Earth is seen as a distant blue marble.) Some of Ellis’ chosen depictions, oddly juxtaposed and stripped of any historical or cultural context due to the stylized design and spare text, become stereotypical. “Some homes are boats. / Some homes are wigwams.” A sailing ship’s crew seems poised to land near a trio of men clad in breechcloths—otherwise unidentified and unremarked upon.
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6529-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2014
An invitation to wonder, imagine and look at everything (humans included) in a new way.
A young boy sees things a little differently than others.
Noah can see patterns in the dust when it sparkles in the sunlight. And if he puts his nose to the ground, he can smell the “green tang of the ants in the grass.” His most favorite thing of all, however, is to read. Noah has endless curiosity about how and why things work. Books open the door to those answers. But there is one question the books do not explain. When the wind comes whistling by, where does it go? Noah decides to find out. In a chase that has a slight element of danger—wind, after all, is unpredictable—Noah runs down streets, across bridges, near a highway, until the wind lifts him off his feet. Cowman’s gusty wisps show each stream of air turning a different jewel tone, swirling all around. The ribbons gently bring Noah home, setting him down under the same thinking tree where he began. Did it really happen? Worthington’s sensitive exploration leaves readers with their own set of questions and perhaps gratitude for all types of perspective. An author’s note mentions children on the autism spectrum but widens to include all who feel a little different.
An invitation to wonder, imagine and look at everything (humans included) in a new way. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 14, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-60554-356-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Redleaf Lane
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2015
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