A straightforward adaptation with appealing illustrations but lacking in emotional resonance.
Ellinas introduces young readers to the characters and key plot points of a beloved Shakespearean comedy.
Feste the Fool tells the story of Viola and her twin brother, Sebastian, who are separated after a shipwreck. To stay safe, Viola disguises herself as a man called Cesario. She’s hired by Duke Orsino to convey his passionate messages to the grieving Countess Olivia. Cesario falls in love with Orsino, while Olivia falls for Cesario. Secondary characters and plotlines all get their due, including Sir Toby and Maria’s plot against Malvolio. As in the play, Sebastian eventually returns, all confusions are resolved, Viola drops her Cesario persona, and nearly everyone pairs off happily. Watercolor illustrations depict period-appropriate costumes and settings, with characters theatrically facing readers. Most characters have pale or tan skin; Olivia has brown skin and tight curls, and Orsino is tan with wavy black hair. Feste’s first-person narration is prescriptive, leaving little room for readers’ own interpretations, and while young people will get a firm sense of the story, they may not be all that engaged. Though the pervasive theme of fools and foolery is an obvious one, framing anyone who “did not see through Cesario’s disguise” as foolish is a missed opportunity for a queerer reading of the Orsino/Cesario/Olivia love triangle.
A straightforward adaptation with appealing illustrations but lacking in emotional resonance. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781536231502
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2024
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn.
A young owl achieves his grand ambition.
Owl, an adorably earnest and gallant little owlet, dreams of being a knight. He imagines himself defeating dragons and winning favor far and wide through his brave exploits. When a record number of knights go missing, Owl applies to Knight School and is surprisingly accepted. He is much smaller than the other knights-in-training, struggles to wield weapons, and has “a habit of nodding off during the day.” Nevertheless, he graduates and is assigned to the Knight Night Watch. While patrolling the castle walls one night, a hungry dragon shows up and Owl must use his wits to avoid meeting a terrible end. The result is both humorous and heartwarming, offering an affirmation of courage and clear thinking no matter one’s size…and demonstrating the power of a midnight snack. The story never directly addresses the question of the missing knights, but it is hinted that they became the dragon’s fodder, leaving readers to question Owl’s decision to befriend the beast. Humor is supplied by the characters’ facial expressions and accented by the fact that Owl is the only animal in his order of big, burly human knights. Denise’s accomplished digital illustrations—many of which are full bleeds—often use a warm sepia palette that evokes a feeling of antiquity, and some spreads feature a pleasing play of chiaroscuro that creates suspense and drama.
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-316-31062-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2022
A sweet, if oft-told, story.
A plush toy rabbit bonds with a boy and watches him grow into adulthood.
The boy receives the blue bunny for his birthday and immediately becomes attached to it. Unbeknownst to him, the ungendered bunny is sentient; it engages in dialogue with fellow toys, giving readers insight into its thoughts. The bunny's goal is to have grand adventures when the boy grows up and no longer needs its company. The boy spends many years playing imaginatively with the bunny, holding it close during both joyous and sorrowful times and taking it along on family trips. As a young man, he marries, starts a family, and hands over the beloved toy to his toddler-aged child in a crib. The bunny's epiphany—that he does not need to wait for great adventures since all his dreams have already come true in the boy's company—is explicitly stated in the lengthy text, which is in many ways similar to The Velveteen Rabbit (1922). The illustrations, which look hand-painted but were digitally created, are moderately sentimental with an impressionistic dreaminess (one illustration even includes a bunny-shaped cloud in the sky) and a warm glow throughout. The depiction of a teenage male openly displaying his emotions—hugging his beloved childhood toy for example—is refreshing. All human characters present as White expect for one of the boy’s friends who is Black.
A sweet, if oft-told, story. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72825-448-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2022
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