A fresh, original introduction to the underwater world.
Fascinated by plants, Fox journeys deep underwater in search of one that glows in dark ocean depths.
The star of The Golden Glow (2018) has another sweetly satisfying adventure. While he and his cousin Wolf are hiking along the coast, a sea gull tells them of a luminescent underwater plant. Now Fox has a new goal. Donning borrowed scuba gear and bringing along an underwater camera, he explores an aquatic meadow, a kelp forest, and a coral reef before reaching a deep abyss, where he notices his camera is missing. Flouw’s illustrations alternate pages of storyline with others that display an array of labeled examples: diving equipment, creatures of the near shore, species of underwater vegetation (giant algae), and shapes of colorful coral. Originally published in French, this Canadian title is unusual in its specificity about plants but predictable in its inclusion of the problem of marine plastic trash. Just inside the abyss, Fox encounters and unwraps a whale entangled in a fish net filled with trash—and, fortuitously, Fox’s camera, which captured a picture of the glowing plant in its fall. While hiking, fully anthropomorphic Fox and Wolf wear hoodies and trekking pants; later they dine on grape pâté sandwiches and mushroom juice. The varying blues of the ocean become dark and deep; the lighter colors of the shoreline suggest the edges of a day; and the warm tones of Wolf’s den affirm the comfort of home. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A fresh, original introduction to the underwater world. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: June 8, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7352-6896-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
