Not a perfect book…but that's precisely the point.
Two robot buddies navigate the ups and downs of friendship in a series of three stories.
Red Robot and Blue Robot enjoy spending time together, but something always seems to go wrong. In the first anecdote, an art session turns sour when the pair can’t understand each other's paintings, leading to some hurt feelings. In the second short tale, Blue Robot's attempt to use an umbrella to protect Red Robot from rusting on a rainy day leads to a squabble. The closing episode sees the two preparing to have “the perfect lunch” of parsnip pie (robots eat pie?), but their plans repeatedly go awry. All of the stories end with the pals fessing up to their faults and reminding each other that though each of them isn’t perfect, and neither is life, their friendship certainly is. Although the text contains some clever quips, the robots’ lengthy exchanges make for a breathless pace that can be exhausting. Nevertheless, the book imparts some good lessons about the futility of seeking flawlessness and the importance of resolving disagreements in a constructive way. Thomas’ digital illustrations, rendered using primary colors only, are presented in a simple comic-book format. The robots are imbued with life; their facial expressions and body language are spot-on in every panel. While not all of the banter is sparkling, the affection Blue and Red have for each other comes across clearly, and their outsize personalities win the reader over.
Not a perfect book…but that's precisely the point. (Picture book. 1-8)Pub Date: Jan. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-66591-165-8
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An accessible entrance into the world of social-emotional skills.
What do you do when the world turns upside down?
Freckled redhead Tilda is a happy only child with a rollicking personality. With lots of books and toys and a multiracial group of friends, life is perfect as far as she’s concerned…until her world undergoes a troubling change (a subtle hint in the illustrations suggests that Tilda’s parents have divorced). Suddenly, nothing feels right, everything seems hard, and she doesn’t want to play with her friends. To reflect this emotional disorientation, the artwork shows Tilda in spatially distorted settings, complete with upside-down objects. It’s not until she sees an upturned ladybug struggle persistently before getting back on its feet (despite Tilda’s desire to help, the ladybug needs to help itself) that Tilda gains the courage to start taking baby steps in order to cope with her new reality. There are still challenges, and she needs to persevere, but eventually, she regains her zest for life and reconnects with her friends. Despite this, the ending avoids an easy happily-ever-after, which feels just right for the subject matter. Though a trifle didactic, the story sends an important message about the roles of self-efficacy and persistence when it comes to overcoming challenges and building resilience. Percival’s digital illustrations use transitions from grayscale to color to create symbolic meaning and have psychological depth, deftly capturing a child’s experience of trauma.
An accessible entrance into the world of social-emotional skills. (author's note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0822-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2022
Parent-child love and affection, appealingly presented, with the added attraction of the seasonal content and lack of gender...
A polar-bear parent speaks poetically of love for a child.
A genderless adult and cub travel through the landscapes of an arctic year. Each of the softly rendered double-page paintings has a very different feel and color palette as the pair go through the seasons, walking through wintry ice and snow and green summer meadows, cavorting in the blue ocean, watching whales, and playing beside musk oxen. The rhymes of the four-line stanzas are not forced, as is the case too often in picture books of this type: “When cold, winter winds / blow the leaves far and wide, / You’ll cross the great icebergs / with me by your side.” On a dark, snowy night, the loving parent says: “But for now, cuddle close / while the stars softly shine. // I’ll always be yours, / and you’ll always be mine.” As the last illustration shows the pair curled up for sleep, young listeners will be lulled to sweet dreams by the calm tenor of the pictures and the words. While far from original, this timeless theme is always in demand, and the combination of delightful illustrations and poetry that scans well make this a good choice for early-childhood classrooms, public libraries, and one-on-one home read-alouds.
Parent-child love and affection, appealingly presented, with the added attraction of the seasonal content and lack of gender restrictions. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-68010-070-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
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