A yum for the tum and heart.
When Tía Mimi is gone for the day, it’s up to little Carina to make delicious empanadas.
Saturdays bring fun times and the pumping beats of salsa on the radio when Carina visits Tía Mimi to knead and fry empanadas and sing, “I like empanadas! I like you!” But then Tía Mimi goes to volunteer at the Community Meal Center one day. Oh no! Can Carina make empanadas on her own? Accompanied by her mom, Carina explores Tía Mimi’s barrio and gathers the ingredients she needs: coriander at Aamir’s Market (useful for samosas, too), achiote from Lila’s Jamaican patties street cart, “garlic from the market selling mandu, and onions from the deli selling pierogies.” Ah, and beef, which Carina gets from Mrs. Chang, who’s making dumplings. All set, Carina stirs up the food, but Tía Mimi still isn’t home when the sun slips down. To feed a busy Tía Mimi, Carina rallies the barrio and heads over to the Meal Center, each neighbor with food reminiscent of empanadas from their own culture. An ode to diverse communities, Kramer and Wen’s joint effort exudes compassion and generosity. Kramer overstuffs the narrative with lovely turns of phrases, although the story gets lost amid the lengthy vivid language at times. Full of warm colors like soft yellows and oranges, the artwork complements Carina’s adventure; Tía Mimi and Carina are Latine and brown-skinned, while the neighborhood is a diverse one. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A yum for the tum and heart. (author’s note, recipe for beef or chicken Puerto Rican empanadas) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9781665914581
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2023
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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