A moving celebration of love.
A fisherman and a merman find love by the sea.
Nen, a merman with a golden fishtail, loves exploring the world of humans. One day, as he swims close to shore, he notices that one of the fishermen seems different from the others. Ernest is gentle and creative, and he rescues sea birds accidentally snared by nets. Both are lonely, and when they meet one night under the moon, they fall in love. Nen’s father, Pelagios, frustrated at Nen’s insistence on interacting with humans, who are hurting the ocean, creates a storm that pulls Ernest under. But Nen saves him, and Pelagios sees that he was wrong. In the end, Ernest and Nen meet happily at the shore, sitting on the rocks and holding hands. The ending is a pleasant departure from the “Little Mermaid” template; neither man needs to fundamentally change who he is so they can be together. It’s a tender fairy tale with no heavy-handed moral, though the importance of love and of respecting the ocean comes through clearly. The illustrations have a sketchy simplicity to them, but they are sweet and moody, with the warm colors depicting Nen and Ernest standing out against an ocean of blues and grays. There are also plenty of cute sea creatures to spot. Young readers who appreciate fairy tales, love stories, or mermaids will be enchanted. Nen and Pelagios are brown-skinned and dark-haired, while Ernest has pale skin and red hair.
A moving celebration of love. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 2, 2024
ISBN: 9781499815931
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
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
A sweet notion that falls flat.
A hit song reimagined as a book about parental love.
Featured in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 1, Perri’s “A Thousand Years” deals with the speaker’s fear of romantic love. In picture-book form, it explores a parent’s unwavering love for a child, who grows from an infant into a toddler over the course of the narrative. The caregiver expresses awe when the youngster learns to stand and fear that the child might fall while beginning to walk. “I have spent every day waiting for you,” the parent says. “Darling, don’t be afraid.” What the child might fear isn’t clear from the joyful balloon- and rainbow-filled illustrations. The story borders on cloying, and words that might work when sung and accompanied by music don’t sound fresh on the page: “Time goes by. / You grow ever stronger as you fly.” The refrain, however, is a lovely sentiment: “I have loved you for a thousand years. / I’ll love you for a thousand more.” Perri’s legion of fans may flock to this version, illustrated by Ruiz with sparkling stars, bubbles, and big-eyed toddlers, but it doesn’t hold together as a narrative or an ode, as it’s billed, and it’s a long way from the original song. The child is tan-skinned, the parent is lighter-skinned, and other characters are diverse.
A sweet notion that falls flat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2025
ISBN: 9780593622599
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
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