by Henry Herz ; illustrated by Luke Graber ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2018
An amusing account of undersea shenanigans
It appears there once was a time when a squid’s 10 arms “were all of equal length.”
In this modern pourquoi tale, a shivering 10-armed squid dressed only in a “splendid silvery scarf, knitted most lovingly by his mother,” nabs an octopus’s sweater, a fiddler crab’s mitten, and a moray eel’s “spectacular cap.” But the three gang up to foil his thievery and get their clothing back. The story is told simply but with lively, Kipling-inspired language. At the climax, the squid extends a tentacle to lift the cap, and “the eel nabbed one arm. The crab grabbed another,” and a wordless spread follows, showing a three-way tug of war. Another, final wordless spread suggests the thief may lose even more. Graber’s cheerful illustrations depict an appropriately dark underwater world. His cartoon-style animals have vaguely human faces with large eyes. The blue squid’s mantle looks a lot like a hoodie. The purple octopus’s incongruously long eyelashes nearly disappear as her color darkens with rage. The green eel’s fur-lined cap is particularly amusing. An endnote adds a few fast facts about squid—enough, perhaps, to make storytime listeners want to know more about this less well-known cephalopod.
An amusing account of undersea shenanigans . (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4556-2388-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Pelican
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2018
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by Sybil Rosen ; illustrated by Camille Garoche ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 16, 2021
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
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by Pip Jones ; illustrated by Sara Ogilvie ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2020
A disappointing follow-up.
Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).
While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.
A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
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