A well-designed book with a simple, approachable text and emotionally aloof illustrations.
Boats that ply the waters of California’s San Francisco Bay Area are highlighted in this picture book.
Beginning with “A houseboat rocks by a dock,” Harvey uses short sentences, with occasional internal rhymes, to introduce readers to a day of boat life on the bay. The text’s brevity is juxtaposed against McFerrin’s full-bleed double-page spreads, which, with their retro palette, cut-collage shapes, and freehand drawing overlay, are reminiscent of mid-20th-century advertising graphics. Their overall impression, though, is somewhat somber and emotionally removed since the palette leans toward the cool, blue end of the spectrum. The people illustrated are predominantly unsmiling, profile or rear-aspect adults (many white, though the stylized images permit other interpretations) who come across as preoccupied and distant rather than engaging of readers. The narrative however, is completely approachable, with a pleasing circularity, as the story ends where it began—with the houseboat, now at the end of the day. The book’s design is well thought out; the page turn after the text, “A barge sets off fiery fireworks” becomes a wordless double gatefold as the scene lifts up to show fireworks against the city skyline with boats and water in the foreground. Pleasingly, the book’s boards are imprinted with a design different from the dust jacket.
A well-designed book with a simple, approachable text and emotionally aloof illustrations. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Aug. 21, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-944903-33-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Cameron + Company
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2018
A fair choice, but it may need some support to really blast off.
This rocket hopes to take its readers on a birthday blast—but there may or may not be enough fuel.
Once a year, a one-seat rocket shoots out from Earth. Why? To reveal a special congratulatory banner for a once-a-year event. The second-person narration puts readers in the pilot’s seat and, through a (mostly) ballad-stanza rhyme scheme (abcb), sends them on a journey toward the sun, past meteors, and into the Kuiper belt. The final pages include additional information on how birthdays are measured against the Earth’s rotations around the sun. Collingridge aims for the stars with this title, and he mostly succeeds. The rhyme scheme flows smoothly, which will make listeners happy, but the illustrations (possibly a combination of paint with digital enhancements) may leave the viewers feeling a little cold. The pilot is seen only with a 1960s-style fishbowl helmet that completely obscures the face, gender, and race by reflecting the interior of the rocket ship. This may allow readers/listeners to picture themselves in the role, but it also may divest them of any emotional connection to the story. The last pages—the backside of a triple-gatefold spread—label the planets and include Pluto. While Pluto is correctly labeled as a dwarf planet, it’s an unusual choice to include it but not the other dwarfs: Ceres, Eris, etc. The illustration also neglects to include the asteroid belt or any of the solar system’s moons.
A fair choice, but it may need some support to really blast off. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: July 31, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-338-18949-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: David Fickling/Phoenix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: April 15, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
A radiant tale of adventure and friendship.
A boy on land and a girl at sea overcome language barriers to become friends.
A girl wearing a white, wide-brimmed hat steers a boat, worry across her face. “I’m lost.” A boy in a red-orange cap holding a conch shell on a string stares out at the sea. “Soy náufrago.” She sees land and heads toward it. He spots the boat, hoping for a friend rather than a foe. As each child notices the other, their mutual trepidation leads to an unexpected initial encounter. “AAAAAAAH!” “¡AAAAAAA!” Both children, however, soon realize they have nothing to fear. Amid island backdrops brimming with rich blues, greens, and oranges, the girl and the boy take tentative steps toward one another. A problem: She speaks English; he speaks Spanish. To communicate, the girl and the boy explore the island and share a little of their worlds. Eventually, the children voyage off the island in the boat, but a sudden storm splits them up. Will the friends reunite? Restrained and spare but potent text whips up an exceptional tale of kinship, where English and Spanish words often converge in meaning. Montalvo’s watercolor, gouache, and graphite artwork brims with verve, leveraging unusual perspectives, thoughtful frames, and vivid tones that culminate in a sublime gatefold. The girl reads as white, while the boy has light brown skin and is cued Latine.
A radiant tale of adventure and friendship. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 30, 2024
ISBN: 9781250246721
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2024
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