While a goodnight book needn’t—shouldn’t—be stimulating or exciting, the market is so saturated with such reading material...
A collection of rhymes for the very young falls smack in the middle of twee territory.
Prelutsky’s simple, consistent rhymes could prove pleasing to sleepy ears, but accompanying digital art by Ishida adds little to the collection. Many of the rhymes list various creatures or items, and the illustrations prove reiterative of the text, failing to build upon them to create something new. Granted, the redundancy between art and text could provoke something of an I Spy sort of game, prompting readers to point to those things named in the text, but page after page without an overriding sense of cohesion reads like a missed opportunity. Added to this flaw is the saccharine sensibility of the collection, populated by round, planar forms in soft colors that accompany rhyme after rhyme, each concluding with go-to-sleep messages. Backmatter includes sheet music for four of the lullaby rhymes, which is a nice added touch to a book that otherwise seems rather undistinguished.
While a goodnight book needn’t—shouldn’t—be stimulating or exciting, the market is so saturated with such reading material that new titles need to add something special to rise above the rest: This doesn’t. (Picture book. 0-3)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-06-201467-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A powerful and thoroughly satisfying blend of sports, history, family saga, and self-discovery.
A Black tween’s world revolves around her love of baseball and her grandfather’s stories of his African homeland.
Charlene Cuffey loves baseball; she was captivated after seeing a Negro Leagues game. Despite her mother’s disapproval, Charley dreams of becoming the first girl to be a professional pitcher. She also loves her grandfather Nana Kofi’s stories and his attempts to teach her his mother tongue of Twi. Nana Kofi was captured from his community and brought to America as a boy; later he fought in the war to end slavery. When Charley responds to a bully’s taunts by challenging him to a game, she’s determined to win. Unfortunately, she makes decisions that place her and her community in danger. This highly anticipated second volume in The Door of No Return trilogy reintroduces Kofi to readers as an elder, revealing how he survived, gained his freedom, established a family, and passed on his legacy of resilience to Charley. Alexander skillfully builds on the strengths of the first installment in portraying a strong sense of community and family, often in the face of capricious violence. Charley is a well-crafted character who embodies her tightknit family, her heritage, and her keen mind. The presence of real-life historical figures and events helps capture the tenor of life in segregated Virginia, while the beautifully flowing poetry contributes to the book’s engaging qualities.
A powerful and thoroughly satisfying blend of sports, history, family saga, and self-discovery. (author’s note) (Verse historical fiction. 10-18)Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2024
ISBN: 9780316442596
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
A lushly illustrated homage to librarians who provide a welcome and a home away from home for all who enter.
A love letter to libraries.
A Black child, with hair in two puffballs tied with yellow ribbons, a blue dress with a Peter Pan collar, and black patent leather Mary Janes, helps Grandmother with the housework, then, at Grandmother’s suggestion, heads to the library. The child’s eagerness to go, with two books under an arm and one in their hand, suggests that this is a favorite destination. The books’ wordless covers emphasize their endless possibilities. The protagonist’s description of the library makes clear that they are always free to be themselves there—whether they feel happy or sad, whether they’re reading mysteries or recipes, and whether they feel “quick and smart” or “contained and cautious.” Robinson’s vibrant, carefully composed digital illustrations, with bright colors that invite readers in and textures and patterns in every image, effectively capture the protagonist’s passion for reading and appreciation for a space where they feel accepted regardless of disposition. In her author’s note, Giovanni states that she spent summers visiting her grandmother in Knoxville, Tennessee, where she went to the Carnegie Branch of the Lawson McGhee Library. She expresses gratitude for Mrs. Long, the librarian, who often traveled to the main library to get books that Giovanni could not find in their segregated branch. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A lushly illustrated homage to librarians who provide a welcome and a home away from home for all who enter. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-358-38765-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Versify/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
SEEN & HEARD
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