A lushly illustrated tale that underscores living fully, appreciating loved ones, and accepting loss.
A young prince’s attempt to defeat Death sparks serious consequences in this picture book.
Hispanic Prince Horatio procures a crystal, enabling him to “peer into” Death’s realm. His fascination with watching Death, a faceless, hooded figure, surges when his mother, Queen Amelia, and sister, Princess Rose Marie, become ill and fall into a deep sleep. When Death threatens to take them, Horatio traps the figure in a sack and ties it to a high tree branch. Death warns that now “no more life shall begin.” Years pass. While nobody dies, people continue aging, including Horatio’s slumbering mother and sister. On his 100th birthday, Horatio expresses regret about his lonely existence. He frees Death and offers his life in exchange for his mother’s and sister’s. Death agrees and shows Horatio an alternate timeline in which his sister lives a wonderful life. Horatio is transported to the day he trapped Death and perishes falling from the tree. Rose Marie is devastated, unaware of Horatio’s sacrifice. Now “one with the wind,” Horatio awaits his loved ones. Poignantly underscoring themes like mortality, remorse, and fate, Oldenburg’s tale about Horatio’s experiences may encourage readers to consider “what truly matters” in their own lives. Fantasy fans will enjoy the adventurous plot and medieval-like settings. Reminiscent of an animated film, Nailon, Ramos, and Thai’s full-color illustrations have a photographic quality, with shadows, shades, and tones. Background locations feature vivid details, including castles, spindly trees, and green hills.
A lushly illustrated tale that underscores living fully, appreciating loved ones, and accepting loss.Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2019
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: March 7, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This multigenerational snuggle will encourage the sharing of old memories and the creation of new ones.
Hill and Bobbiesi send a humungous hug from grandmothers to their granddaughters everywhere.
Delicate cartoon art adds details to the rhyming text showing multigenerational commonalities. “You and I are alike in such wonderful ways. / You will see more and more as you grow” (as grandmother and granddaughter enjoy the backyard together); “I wobbled uncertainly just as you did / whenever I tried something new” (as a toddler takes first steps); “And if a bad dream woke me up in the night, / I snuggled up with my lovey too” (grandmother kisses granddaughter, who clutches a plush narwhal). Grandmother-granddaughter pairs share everyday joys like eating ice cream, dancing “in the rain,” and making “up silly games.” Although some activities skew stereotypically feminine (baking, yoga), a grandmother helps with a quintessential volcano experiment (this pair presents black, adding valuable STEM representation), another cheers on a young wheelchair athlete (both present Asian), and a third, wearing a hijab, accompanies her brown-skinned granddaughter on a peace march, as it is “important to speak out for what you believe.” The message of unconditional love is clear throughout: “When you need me, I’ll be there to listen and care. / There is nothing that keeps us apart.” The finished book will include “stationery…for a special letter from Grandma to you!”
This multigenerational snuggle will encourage the sharing of old memories and the creation of new ones. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-7282-0623-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2020
A nicely inventive little morality “tail” for newly independent readers.
Two little rats decide to show the world how tough they are, with unpredictable results.
Louie and Ralphie Ratso want to be just like their single dad, Big Lou: tough! They know that “tough” means doing mean things to other animals, like stealing Chad Badgerton’s hat. Chad Badgerton is a big badger, so taking that hat from him proves that Louie and Ralphie are just as tough as they want to be. However, it turns out that Louie and Ralphie have just done a good deed instead of a bad one: Chad Badgerton had taken that hat from little Tiny Crawley, a mouse, so when Tiny reclaims it, they are celebrated for goodness rather than toughness. Sadly, every attempt Louie and Ralphie make at doing mean things somehow turns nice. What’s a little boy rat supposed to do to be tough? Plus, they worry about what their dad will say when he finds out how good they’ve been. But wait! Maybe their dad has some other ideas? LaReau keeps the action high and completely appropriate for readers embarking on chapter books. Each of the first six chapters features a new, failed attempt by Louie and Ralphie to be mean, and the final, seventh chapter resolves everything nicely. The humor springs from their foiled efforts and their reactions to their failures. Myers’ sprightly grayscale drawings capture action and characters and add humorous details, such as the Ratsos’ “unwelcome” mat.
A nicely inventive little morality “tail” for newly independent readers. (Fiction. 5-8)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7636-0
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
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