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THE TINY TALE OF LITTLE PEA

Drolly creative but lacking frisson.

Little Pea—a light-skinned human being who never gets taller than half the length of a standard pencil—moves from infancy, through school, and into an ideal career for his talent and his size.

“When he was born, Little Pea was tiny. Teeny-tiny.” The dark text appears alone on the stark-white verso, across from which a cartoon baby happily floats on his back in a bowl decorated with images of green peas. Endearing artwork, reminiscent of early Maurice Sendak, later shows the baby sleeping in a matchbox. His toddler-esque proportions do not change as he ages, achieving such feats as rappelling off a tower of Legos and riding atop a grasshopper. He realizes the drawbacks of his tininess when he goes to school; among some very funny drawings is a sad one of Little Pea sitting alone under a tree at recess time. Little Pea’s teacher worries about him, but the pages that follow never address loneliness. Instead, Little Pea’s one passion—drawing—paves the way for the adult Little Pea to live in a tiny house, drive a windup car to his studio, and design postage stamps. Rather than a “tiny tale,” text and art create a whimsical showcase around the idea of a person too small for reality, ending with a punch line that presupposes knowledge of postage stamps.

Drolly creative but lacking frisson. (Picture book. 3-5)

Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-77138-843-6

Page Count: 36

Publisher: Kids Can

Review Posted Online: May 23, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017

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CINDERELLA

From the Once Upon a World series

A nice but not requisite purchase.

A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.

Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.

A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)

Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8

Page Count: 24

Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017

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IN THE SKY AT NIGHTTIME

A tender bedtime tale set in a too-seldom-seen northern world.

A quiet book for putting young children to bed in a state of snowy wonder.

The magic of the north comes alive in a picture book featuring Inuit characters. In the sky at nighttime, snow falls fast. / … / In the sky at nighttime, a raven roosts atop a tall building. / … / In the sky at nighttime, a mother’s delicate song to her child arises like a gentle breeze.” With the repetition of the simple, titular refrain, the author envisions what happens in a small town at night: Young children see their breath in the cold; a hunter returns on his snowmobile; the stars dazzle in the night sky. A young mother rocks her baby to sleep with a song and puts the tot down with a trio of stuffed animals: hare, polar bear, seal. The picture book evokes a feeling of peace as the street lamps, northern lights, and moon illuminate the snow. The illustrations are noteworthy for the way they meld the old world with what it looks like to be a modern Indigenous person: A sled dog and fur-lined parkas combine easily with the frame houses, a pickup truck, power lines, and mobile-hung crib. By introducing Indigenous characters in an unremarkably familiar setting, the book reaches children who don’t always see themselves in an everyday context.

A tender bedtime tale set in a too-seldom-seen northern world. (Picture book. 3-5)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-77227-238-3

Page Count: 36

Publisher: Inhabit Media

Review Posted Online: July 27, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019

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