A delightful and nicely anecdotal story about the importance of teamwork and the unsung heroes among us.
In his author/illustrator picture-book debut, Palmer celebrates basketball virtuosos who never make it to the NBA.
An older Black girl who plays basketball is the unnamed narrator of this tale. Acknowledging that people have varying opinions about who deserves the honorific best basketball player ever, she invites readers to incline their ears to her telling of the legend of Gravity, “the greatest ballplayer to ever lace up a pair of sneakers.” She goes on to relate how she and her teammates on the Hillside Projects basketball team, the Eagles, first met Gravity when he suddenly showed up on the neighborhood court one afternoon. After witnessing the lanky newcomer’s prowess with the ball, the Eagles promptly recruit him to join their team, and Gravity becomes their star player, propelling them to victory over teams across the city. With each winning game, the Eagles get closer to the Best of the Best tournament. Their foolproof strategy is to get the ball to Gravity so that he can make all the winning plays, but when the big final game against the unbeatable East Side Flyers rolls around, the kids realize it will take more than Gravity’s one-man show to carry the day. Palmer’s painterly illustrations effectively convey the physicality and drama of basketball. In the author’s note, he dedicates the book to streetball legends everywhere and reminds readers that their stories are kept alive by word of mouth and thus, often end up sounding like tall tales. All characters are Black. (This book was reviewed digitally).
A delightful and nicely anecdotal story about the importance of teamwork and the unsung heroes among us. (author's note) (Picture book. 4-10)Pub Date: Jan. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-374-31328-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2021
A must-own adaptation chock-full of such stuff as kids’ dreams are—and will be—made on.
Mirth, magic, and mischief abound in this picture-book retelling of one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays.
Ariel, the beloved sprite whose conjurings precipitate the eponymous tempest, gets top billing in this adaptation and recounts the narrative in the first person. Through Ariel’s eyes, readers are introduced to the powerful Prospero, his lovely daughter, Miranda, and the shipwrecked nobles who are brought to the island to right an ancient wrong. Ellinas’ picture book largely divests the tale of its colonialist underpinnings and breathes three-dimensional complexity into the major and minor characters. Caliban, for instance, is monstrous due to his callous treatment of Ariel rather than because he is racially coded as savage. Another delightful change is the depiction of Miranda, who emerges as an athletic, spirited, and beautiful nature-child whose charms are understandably irresistible to Prince Ferdinand. The text is perfectly matched by Ray’s jaw-droppingly beautiful illustrations, which will enchant readers from the front cover to the final curtain. The greens of the waters and the blues of the island’s night sky are so lush and inviting that readers will wish they could enter the book. Peppered throughout the story are italicized fragments of Shakespeare’s dialogue, giving both young and older readers something to enjoy. Large, granite-colored Caliban is plainly nonhuman; the human characters present white; Ariel is a translucent, paper white.
A must-own adaptation chock-full of such stuff as kids’ dreams are—and will be—made on. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5362-1144-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.
Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
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