Deft, understated loveliness.
The art of kids being kids comes alive.
Amanda and her mother, who both present Black, are carrying a large cardboard box they’re taking down from the 15th floor. A plethora of diverse kids spill out of a packed elevator in a massive apartment complex into the early spring, “like candies from a box,” to a concrete courtyard. Reaching into the box, Amanda pulls out a rainbow’s worth of chalk and draws what appears to be the Covid-19 virus. Another kid, Jackson, adds a stem to Amanda’s drawing and turns it into a dandelion. Other children join in and create flowers, a snail, a palm tree, and balloons, every new addition filling the space. Above, Nasrin, wearing a hijab, “lonely for her mom in faraway Isfahan,” sends her a photo of the concrete garden, and it quickly goes viral. And when the rain washes away the kids’ work days later, they just rip up Amanda’s now-empty box and race the cardboard pieces in the water. There are scuffles among siblings in this story, but all told, no child ever chides another for adding to their art or putting something like an alien spaceship into the mix. Graham’s signature watercolor-and-ink illustrations bring it all to life beautifully. The subtlety of the storytelling makes a statement about art in a time of disease better than words ever could. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Deft, understated loveliness. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781536233803
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Aug. 12, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
Echoes of Runaway Bunny color this exchange between a bath-averse piglet and his patient mother. Using a strategy that would probably be a nonstarter in real life, the mother deflects her stubborn offspring’s string of bath-free occupational conceits with appeals to reason: “Pirates NEVER EVER take baths!” “Pirates don’t get seasick either. But you do.” “Yeesh. I’m an astronaut, okay?” “Well, it is hard to bathe in zero gravity. It’s hard to poop and pee in zero gravity too!” And so on, until Mom’s enticing promise of treasure in the deep sea persuades her little Treasure Hunter to take a dive. Chunky figures surrounded by lots of bright white space in Segal’s minimally detailed watercolors keep the visuals as simple as the plotline. The language isn’t quite as basic, though, and as it rendered entirely in dialogue—Mother Pig’s lines are italicized—adult readers will have to work hard at their vocal characterizations for it to make any sense. Moreover, younger audiences (any audiences, come to that) may wonder what the piggy’s watery closing “EUREKA!!!” is all about too. Not particularly persuasive, but this might coax a few young porkers to get their trotters into the tub. (Picture book. 4-6)
Pub Date: March 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-399-25425-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A fresh take on an enduring theme.
When Irie tells her momma she hates her big poofy hair, her momma explains that everything about Irie was perfectly custom made.
Irie wants her hair to swing and bounce like the “pretty hair” that “everyone else” has. But Momma tells her that she didn’t make Irie to be like everyone else. “I made you to be you.” Momma explains that when she was expecting Irie, she talked to God and made special requests. Out of all the skin tones in the world, Momma chose her favorite for Irie. The same for her hair type, her sparkling eyes, her kissable nose, and her bright smile. Momma also chose a good heart for Irie, and when she was born, she was perfect, and as she grew, she was kind. When Momma tells her “you are all of my favorite things,” Irie runs to the mirror and sees herself with new eyes: a “most perfect me.” This sweet, imaginative tale highlights the importance of parental love in boosting children’s self-esteem and will be a touching read-aloud for families who have struggled with issues of fitting in. The story is a challenging one to illustrate; the full-color digital art is warm with soft shades of natural-looking color but struggles to create engaging scenes to accompany Momma’s explanation of her conversation with God. The multiple spreads showing Irie and Momma flying through the atmosphere among clouds, stars, and hearts become a bit monotonous and lack depth of expression. Characters are Black. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A fresh take on an enduring theme. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: May 3, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-42694-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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