A sweet, well-developed tale that will entice and educate young readers.
Concepcion’s illustrated children’s book tells a story about farming and friendship.
Pirate Pearl was an accomplished seafarer, but she felt the food aboard her ship—hardtack biscuits—could be improved. Spotting land, she hops into a small raft with her parrot, Petunia, and paddles to shore. After a long journey, the pirate spots a huge red barn; tuckered out, she collapses but quickly finds herself hoisted into a wheelbarrow by Farmer Fay. The new acquaintance gives Pearl potato soup, which rejuvenates her. Dazzled by this new food, the pirate wishes to be shown the entire potato-growing process. She learns what vitamins potatoes contain, and she’s shocked by various types of farm technology, including sprinklers and tractors. Farmer Fay is kind enough to let Pearl drive the tractor and then explains how potatoes signal that they’re ready to be harvested by dropping their flowers. Pearl wonders if she could grow them aboard her pirate ship and then becomes intrigued by the fact that potatoes can be eaten in many different ways. The next morning, Pearl’s reluctant to leave the farm, but she takes a bunch of potatoes back to her ship and embarks on a new journey. Over the course of this book, Conception delivers an appealing and informative story as Pearl makes new discoveries and a new friend. Burgett’s full-color cartoon illustrations are lighthearted and adorable; Pearl is portrayed with pale skin, and Farmer Fay is an older woman of color with light-brown skin. In a lovely touch that evokes the style of a graphic novel, some spreads include scrolls, used as illustration text inserts. Back matter includes helpful recipes and information about growing potatoes on one’s own. With luck, more agricultural adventures for Pirate Pearl will be on the horizon.
A sweet, well-developed tale that will entice and educate young readers.Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2023
ISBN: 978-1948898157
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Feeding Minds Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
We’ll say it: a toothsome experience.
Flash those pearly whites!
Renowned poet Florian’s jaunty rhymes suggest that a hygiene ritual many children consider bothersome can be “fun! fun! fun!” Each spread features lively scenes showing kids demonstrating tooth- and mouth-cleansing techniques as well as two couplets in which the second exclamatory lines—containing a word repeated three times—rhyme with each other (“Toothpaste on the / brush! brush! brush!” “Take your time. / Don’t rush! rush! rush!”). Parents and caregivers seeking an enjoyable, stimulating way to motivate youngsters to perform this important daily task may wish to recite the rollicking verses to provide a pleasant, rhythmic, chanting “background” whenever their kids wield their toothbrushes. The colorful, energetic illustrations depict happy, wide-eyed, racially diverse small children—some with missing teeth—taking care of their oral-hygiene business with gusto. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
We’ll say it: a toothsome experience. (Board book. 2-5)Pub Date: July 5, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-4998-1340-1
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2022
Animated and educational.
A hare and a ground squirrel banter about the differences between related animals that are often confused for one another.
Jack is “no Flopsy, Mopsy, or Cottontail,” but a “H-A-R-E, hare!” Like sheep and goats, or turtles and tortoises, rabbits and hares may look similar, but hares are bigger, their fur changes color in the winter, and they are born with their eyes wide open. As the ground squirrel (not to be mistaken for a chipmunk (even though Jack cheekily calls it “Chippie”) and Jack engage in playful discussion about animals, a sneaky coyote prowls after them through the Sonoran Desert. This picture book conveys the full narrative in spirited, speech-bubbled dialogue set on expressive illustrations of talking animals. Dark outlines around the characters make their shapes pop against the softly blended colors of the desert backgrounds. Snappy back-and-forth paired with repetition and occasional rhyme enhances the story’s appeal as a read-aloud. As the story progresses, the colors of the sky shift from dawn to dusk, providing subtle, visual bookends for the narrative. One page of backmatter offers a quick guide to eight easily confused pairs, and a second turns a subsequent exploration of the book into a seek-and-find of 15 creatures (and one dessert) hidden in the desert. Unfortunately, while most of the creatures from the seek-and-find appear in poses that match the illustrations in the challenge, not all of them are consistently represented. (This book was reviewed digitally with 7-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at 53.3% of actual size.)
Animated and educational. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-358-12506-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
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