Breathes radiant new life into a classic story.
In this retelling of a Pakistani folktale, a spirited princess teaches her father a lesson about love.
In the Kingdom of Zammarud, four princesses live with their father, the king, beneath “a sky studded with diamonds.” While the elder three are graceful models of conventional femininity, the fourth, Princess Amal, is mischievous, clumsy, and quick with a witty retort. One day, the king asks his daughters to describe their love for him. While the eldest princesses compare their affection for their father to sugar, honey, and sherbet, Amal says that her love is “as plain and simple as the salt on this table.” Humiliated that his daughter would so publicly compare him to “something as common as salt,” the king banishes Amal. After fleeing to the forest, Amal befriends a prince with “kind, worried eyes.” After the two fall in love and contemplate marriage, Amal decides to play a prank on her estranged father—one that might repair their relationship. In an author’s note, Syed explains that “The Salt Princess” has been retold by cultures all around the world; with her version, she wanted to grapple with the king’s desire for social approval—something common in many South Asian communities. Amal’s playfulness, wittiness, and independence come through clearly in Syed’s elegant prose, while her jewel-toned illustrations, surrounded by intricate borders or set against vivid backdrops, are a visual delight.
Breathes radiant new life into a classic story. (Urdu and Roman Urdu versions of the story, translated by Humera Syed) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2025
ISBN: 9780063324718
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn.
A young owl achieves his grand ambition.
Owl, an adorably earnest and gallant little owlet, dreams of being a knight. He imagines himself defeating dragons and winning favor far and wide through his brave exploits. When a record number of knights go missing, Owl applies to Knight School and is surprisingly accepted. He is much smaller than the other knights-in-training, struggles to wield weapons, and has “a habit of nodding off during the day.” Nevertheless, he graduates and is assigned to the Knight Night Watch. While patrolling the castle walls one night, a hungry dragon shows up and Owl must use his wits to avoid meeting a terrible end. The result is both humorous and heartwarming, offering an affirmation of courage and clear thinking no matter one’s size…and demonstrating the power of a midnight snack. The story never directly addresses the question of the missing knights, but it is hinted that they became the dragon’s fodder, leaving readers to question Owl’s decision to befriend the beast. Humor is supplied by the characters’ facial expressions and accented by the fact that Owl is the only animal in his order of big, burly human knights. Denise’s accomplished digital illustrations—many of which are full bleeds—often use a warm sepia palette that evokes a feeling of antiquity, and some spreads feature a pleasing play of chiaroscuro that creates suspense and drama.
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-316-31062-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2022
A sweet, if oft-told, story.
A plush toy rabbit bonds with a boy and watches him grow into adulthood.
The boy receives the blue bunny for his birthday and immediately becomes attached to it. Unbeknownst to him, the ungendered bunny is sentient; it engages in dialogue with fellow toys, giving readers insight into its thoughts. The bunny's goal is to have grand adventures when the boy grows up and no longer needs its company. The boy spends many years playing imaginatively with the bunny, holding it close during both joyous and sorrowful times and taking it along on family trips. As a young man, he marries, starts a family, and hands over the beloved toy to his toddler-aged child in a crib. The bunny's epiphany—that he does not need to wait for great adventures since all his dreams have already come true in the boy's company—is explicitly stated in the lengthy text, which is in many ways similar to The Velveteen Rabbit (1922). The illustrations, which look hand-painted but were digitally created, are moderately sentimental with an impressionistic dreaminess (one illustration even includes a bunny-shaped cloud in the sky) and a warm glow throughout. The depiction of a teenage male openly displaying his emotions—hugging his beloved childhood toy for example—is refreshing. All human characters present as White expect for one of the boy’s friends who is Black.
A sweet, if oft-told, story. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72825-448-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2022
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