An accessible, all-too-timely manifesto for young activists (and everyone else).
Rhyming Seuss-esque verse paired with striking posterlike illustrations calls readers to action.
Nagara’s direct, pragmatic approach to activism for a child audience reaches new levels of specificity and real-world application in this book: “Let’s also be clear that harm has been done. / Futures were stolen by sword and by gun. / We can’t flip a switch / and say that we’re there. / A history of injustice / takes more to repair.” Vibrant colors infuse Nagara’s expressive, textured illustrations, which feature a diverse range of humans, protest signs, and symbolic as well as literal depictions of societal issues and potential solutions. A double-page spread composed entirely of overlapping words and phrases such as “DISABILITY ACCESS,” “WILDERNESS PRESERVES,” “CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE EDUCATION,” and “INDIGENOUS SOVEREIGNTY!” invites further research and discussion. The cover features a child with chin-length curly black hair, black eyes, and brown skin posed like the iconic Rosie the Riveter, and, although the visual narrative does not center or even name any characters, this child and several other figures do reappear throughout. Observant readers may connect textual examples to current events. The book concludes with a blank page for readers to list their own solutions to further the causes they support; no resources for further reading or discussion are included. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11.3-by-16.8-inch double-page spreads viewed at 68% of actual size.)
An accessible, all-too-timely manifesto for young activists (and everyone else). (Picture book. 4-10)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-64421-014-7
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Triangle Square Books for Young Readers
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
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 kind child in a book for middle-grade readers? There’s no downside to that.
Beatrice Zinker is a kinder, gentler Judy Moody.
Beatrice doesn’t want to be fit in a box. Her first word was “WOW,” not “Mom.” She does her best thinking upside down and prefers to dress like a ninja. Like Judy Moody, she has patient parents and a somewhat annoying younger brother. (She also has a perfectly ordinary older sister.) Beatrice spends all summer planning a top-secret spy operation complete with secret codes and a secret language (pig Latin). But on the first day of third grade, her best friend, Lenny (short for Eleanor), shows up in a dress, with a new friend who wants to play veterinarian at recess. Beatrice, essentially a kind if somewhat quirky kid, struggles to see the upside of the situation and ends up with two friends instead of one. Line drawings on almost every spread add to the humor and make the book accessible to readers who might otherwise balk at its 160 pages. Thankfully, the rhymes in the text do not continue past the first chapter. Children will enjoy the frequent puns and Beatrice’s preference for climbing trees and hanging upside down. The story drifts dangerously close to pedantry when Beatrice asks for advice from a grandmotherly neighbor but is saved by likable characters and upside-down cake. Beatrice seems to be white; Lenny’s surname, Santos, suggests that she may be Latina; their school is a diverse one.
A kind child in a book for middle-grade readers? There’s no downside to that. (Fiction. 6-10)Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4847-6738-2
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
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