A heartwarming story about the magic of music, intergenerational relationships, and believing.
A young Chinese girl and an elderly white man develop a bond through a shared love of music.
Moving to a new neighborhood or city is tough enough. Moving to a new country where you don’t speak the language is even more daunting. Not long after the narrator arrives in Montreal from China, she meets Mr. Mergler at a nearby park. When he asks her to sing her favorite song for him, he recognizes her aptitude for music and offers to give her piano lessons. Under Mr. Mergler’s patient tutelage, the narrator quickly learns to decipher the notes on the page into music. “My fingers began to fly, and so did my lessons.” Mr. Mergler isn’t the only one keeping track of her progress. The narrator imagines that Beethoven, or rather a bust of the famous composer, shows his approval (or lack thereof) from his perch atop Mr. Mergler’s piano. Barely six months later, the elderly piano teacher is too weak to teach anymore. Upon his death, he leaves his “star pupil” a poignant letter and a precious gift. Cinq-Mars’ delicate sketches, hand-drawn in color pencil, frame Gutnick’s quiet text with charm and whimsy. The affection between the narrator and her teacher, as well as within her family, is palpable. An author’s note reveals that Mr. Mergler was a real, longtime piano teacher in Montreal and provides a biographical sketch of Beethoven.
A heartwarming story about the magic of music, intergenerational relationships, and believing. (Picture book. 4-9)Pub Date: March 13, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-77260-059-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Second Story Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2018
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
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
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