Fun and feisty—these memorable characters are a delight to know and revisit.
In a refreshing departure from the norm, this Spanish import focuses on the grandparents’ relationship with each other, not with a child protagonist.
Balding Manuel is working in the garden when a passing car announces a dance with the “best musicians in the country.” A call and response between the elders ensues after Manuela insists she is not going—but starts attending to her appearance anyway. Each time Grandfather inquires about her preparations, she bemoans her looks: “I’m going to put mascara on my eyelashes. They are as stubby as a little fly’s feet.” He counters her, asserting that they are like “new-mown grass.” Manuel’s loving if not always romantic similes build cumulatively, inviting reader participation. Wobbly ink outlines suggest a tender fragility to these characters; light gray backgrounds create their skin tones. Color and humor abound in these compositions due to the playfulness of the onlooking farm creatures and the hilarious visual interpretations of the snappy narrative. Looking in the mirror, Manuela thinks she is “as ugly as a chicken with no feathers”; an inverted image depicts just that. The design is varied and sophisticated yet caters to a child’s naïve sensibilities, as when a tree grows horizontally out of the field. Ultimately, the only change to Grandmother’s appearance is Grandfather’s flower behind her ear; the two dance and flirt in the moonlight as intimate scenes from their past surround them.
Fun and feisty—these memorable characters are a delight to know and revisit. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: May 5, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-77164-566-9
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Aldana Libros/Greystone Kids
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
PERSPECTIVES
PERSPECTIVES
Menacing and most likely to appeal to established fans of its co-creators.
Existing artwork from an artistic giant inspires a fairy-tale reimagination by a master of the horror genre.
In King’s interpretation of a classic Brothers Grimm story, which accompanies set and costume designs that the late Sendak created for a 1997 production of Engelbert Humperdinck’s opera, siblings Hansel and Gretel survive abandonment in the woods and an evil witch’s plot to gobble them up before finding their “happily ever after” alongside their father. Prose with the reassuring cadence of an old-timey tale, paired with Sendak’s instantly recognizable artwork, will lull readers before capitalizing on these creators’ knack for injecting darkness into seemingly safe spaces. Gaping faces loom in crevices of rocks and trees, and a gloomy palette of muted greens and ocher amplify the story’s foreboding tone, while King never sugarcoats the peach-skinned children’s peril. Branches with “clutching fingers” hide “the awful enchanted house” of a “child-stealing witch,” all portrayed in an eclectic mix of spot and full-bleed images. Featuring insults that might strike some as harsh (“idiot,” “fool”), the lengthy, dense text may try young readers’ patience, and the often overwhelmingly ominous mood feels more pitched to adults—particularly those familiar with King and Sendak—but an introduction acknowledges grandparents as a likely audience, and nostalgia may prompt leniency over an occasional disconnect between words and art.
Menacing and most likely to appeal to established fans of its co-creators. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9780062644695
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2025
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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