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
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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