An uplifting historical tale exploring the intersection of art history and religion.
Rembrandt’s apprentice finds a way to impress the master.
Samuel, a Jewish boy, aspires to more than cleaning brushes, but if he wants to paint, he’ll have to work all day. Samuel can only work mornings, however; his father is the director of the yeshiva, and he insists that Samuel spend his afternoons studying. Papa thinks painting is “frivolous,” though Samuel’s older sister, Isabel, gently tells Papa that the boy has real talent. The next day, as Rembrandt poses models for a Purim-themed painting—what will become Ahasuerus and Haman at the Feast of Esther—Samuel tells him that his proud, haughty Esther is unsuitable. Rembrandt agrees, and Samuel realizes that modest Isabel is the perfect candidate for Queen Esther. When Rembrandt meets Isabel and hears her motivation (“Esther is humble, faithful, and proud to be Jewish…She’s my hero”), he places a crown atop her head—and then invites Samuel to paint this section of the work. Even Papa is impressed—Samuel incorporates his yeshiva learning into the painting—and asks Rembrandt to come to the synagogue for Purim tonight. Written by two rabbis, this warm story gives readers an accessible introduction to the 17th-century artist, demonstrating his regard for Amsterdam’s Jewish community; backmatter offers further information. Dominated by earth tones, Battistel’s painterly images evoke Rembrandt’s own work and capture the period well.
An uplifting historical tale exploring the intersection of art history and religion. (information on Purim, biography of Rembrandt) (Picture book. 6-9)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781681156828
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Apples & Honey Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Innocuous adventuring on the smallest of scales.
The Mouse and the Motorcycle (1965) upgrades to The Mice and the Rolls-Royce.
In Windsor Castle there sits a “dollhouse like no other,” replete with working plumbing, electricity, and even a full library of real, tiny books. Called Queen Mary’s Dollhouse, it also plays host to the Whiskers family, a clan of mice that has maintained the house for generations. Henry Whiskers and his cousin Jeremy get up to the usual high jinks young mice get up to, but when Henry’s little sister Isabel goes missing at the same time that the humans decide to clean the house up, the usually bookish big brother goes on the adventure of his life. Now Henry is driving cars, avoiding cats, escaping rats, and all before the upcoming mouse Masquerade. Like an extended version of Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Two Bad Mice (1904), Priebe keeps this short chapter book constantly moving, with Duncan’s peppy art a cute capper. Oddly, the dollhouse itself plays only the smallest of roles in this story, and no factual information on the real Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House is included at the tale’s end (an opportunity lost).
Innocuous adventuring on the smallest of scales. (Fantasy. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 3, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-6575-5
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
Hooray, hooray for this par-tay.
Five more stories featuring buddy pair Fox and Rabbit.
Following the formula of its predecessors, this third installment of the Fox & Rabbit series focuses on Sparrow’s “super-trooper special” birthday. A slightly unrelated opening story introduces a variety of animal characters as Fox—proudly adopting the moniker “Fix-it Fox”—goes around trying to solve everyone’s “enormous problems.” In the next story, Fox and Rabbit scheme to make the “biggest, roundest, yummiest pizza in the world.” They pilfer ingredients from Sparrow’s garden (a nod to the first book) and ask Mouse for mozzarella. Subsequent stories—each contained in a chapter—involve a pizza-cooking dragon, the “really awesome” party, and a birthday wish that finally comes true. Dudás’ full-color cartoon illustrations complement Ferry’s chipper tone and punny dialogue for an upbeat woodland romp. Even the turtle, who always comically arrives at the end of the chapter and misses most of the action, gets to enjoy the party. Another standout scene, in which Fox assumes Dragon doesn’t speak their language and speaks “Dragonian” unprompted, gently addresses microaggressions. Though all dialogue is clearly linked to each speaker, some scenes with lots of back and forth within a single panel gear this to comics readers with a bit of experience. Still, the eight-panel–per-page max and short chapters keep the text accessible and pace quick.
Hooray, hooray for this par-tay. (Graphic early reader. 6-9)Pub Date: April 20, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4197-5183-7
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Feb. 11, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021
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