These captivating llamas deliver. Readers won’t be bored by this board book! (Board book. 5-8)
What’s this we “See / Sea”? It’s a trendy llama, here to introduce witty pairs of homophones with humor, tactile elements, and a whole lotta flare—erm, flair.
How can a flat green silhouette of a llama be so darned hilarious? Drawn with distinctive perked ears, black dotted eyes, and rectangular body with rounded corners, face deadpan, it’s the very essence of llama. Llama’s hijinks graphically differentiate between the homophones, making them easy to define, such as silvery embossed hoof “prints” trailing behind it on one page and a regally clad “prince” on the other. Coat adds pizzazz as well as contextual clues through a surprising variety of touch-and-feel pieces, among them moving hands on an analog clock marking time on “wait” or a “peek”-aboo baby llama under a lift-the-flap blanket. If it sounds gimmicky, fear not; the book revels in hyperbole. Whether it’s a llama biting a pink “rose,” tango-style, or an emotionless “fairy” with textured, glittery wings, the contrast of flamboyant effects to solemn llamas is audaciously funny. There is a mismatch between format and concept here; homophones are abstract and better suited to older readers than the tot set. Still, there’s a scarcity of quality books about homophones, and the sophisticated humor should beguile big kids. Oversized trim also suits that older audience.
These captivating llamas deliver. Readers won’t be bored by this board book! (Board book. 5-8)Pub Date: March 6, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4197-2827-3
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
Embedded in this heartwarming story of doing the right thing is a deft examination of the pressures of income inequality on...
Continuing from their acclaimed Those Shoes (2007), Boelts and Jones entwine conversations on money, motives, and morality.
This second collaboration between author and illustrator is set within an urban multicultural streetscape, where brown-skinned protagonist Ruben wishes for a bike like his friend Sergio’s. He wishes, but Ruben knows too well the pressure his family feels to prioritize the essentials. While Sergio buys a pack of football cards from Sonny’s Grocery, Ruben must buy the bread his mom wants. A familiar lady drops what Ruben believes to be a $1 bill, but picking it up, to his shock, he discovers $100! Is this Ruben’s chance to get himself the bike of his dreams? In a fateful twist, Ruben loses track of the C-note and is sent into a panic. After finally finding it nestled deep in a backpack pocket, he comes to a sense of moral clarity: “I remember how it was for me when that money that was hers—then mine—was gone.” When he returns the bill to her, the lady offers Ruben her blessing, leaving him with double-dipped emotions, “happy and mixed up, full and empty.” Readers will be pleased that there’s no reward for Ruben’s choice of integrity beyond the priceless love and warmth of a family’s care and pride.
Embedded in this heartwarming story of doing the right thing is a deft examination of the pressures of income inequality on children. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6649-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
Amusing, yes. Useful for reading practice, yes, but not necessarily guaranteed to make new readers the “read-i-est.” (Early...
Elephant and Piggie make an appearance to introduce the first in their new series, an egalitarian introduction to superlatives.
Each one of seven blades of talking grass—of a total of eight—discovers that it is superb at something: it’s tallest, curliest, silliest, and so forth. The humor aims to appeal to a broad spectrum. It is slightly disturbing that one being eaten by purple bugs is proud of being the crunchiest, but that will certainly appeal to a slice of the audience. The eighth blade of grass is grappling with a philosophical identity crisis; its name is Walt, a sly reference to Whitman's Leaves of Grass that will go right over the heads of beginning readers but may amuse astute parents or teachers. Tension builds with the approach of a lawn mower; the blades of grass lose their unique features when they are trimmed to equal heights. Mercifully, they are chopped off right above the eyes and can continue their silly banter. Departing from the image of a Whitman-esque free spirit, Walt now discovers he is the neatest. Lots of speech bubbles, repetition, and clear layout make this entry a useful addition to lessons on adjectives and superlatives while delivering a not-so-subtle message that everyone is good at something. Elephant and Piggie's final assertion that “this book is the FUNNIEST” doesn't necessarily make it so, however.
Amusing, yes. Useful for reading practice, yes, but not necessarily guaranteed to make new readers the “read-i-est.” (Early reader. 6-8)Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4847-2635-8
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
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