A good springboard for kids and their caregivers to talk about what love means to them.
A young robot learns what love is.
Out playing, Z finds a message in a bottle, but all that’s legible is “Love, Beatrice.” Z asks the older robots what “love” is as they help the young one through the bedtime routine, but: “DOES NOT COMPUTE.” So Z sets off to find both Beatrice and the meaning of love. Journeying in a boat that’s captained by a cat, Z asks everyone they meet. But the crow’s, baker’s, and school children’s ideas of love don’t help Z understand. As night falls, the duo sail to an island. Who should live there but Beatrice, an old woman who thinks about her answer as she and Z bake cookies, play chess, and dance: “It’s warm. And cozy. And safe. You’ll know it when you feel it.” Just as Z is ready to power down, the worried older robots arrive. And as they read a story, leave a light, and give a good-night kiss, Z finally has a word to go with the feeling that’s been there all along. Sima’s robots are gray 3-D shapes with oval glowing eyes, elongated or nonexistent noses, and line mouths. Their emotional expressions are limited to what their mouths and articulated arms are doing. The spring-bright colors surrounding the metal robots keep the book from feeling too heavy. Beatrice presents white; the other humans are notably diverse, including one child who uses a wheelchair.
A good springboard for kids and their caregivers to talk about what love means to them. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Dec. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4814-9677-3
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 16, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2018
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet notion that falls flat.
A hit song reimagined as a book about parental love.
Featured in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 1, Perri’s “A Thousand Years” deals with the speaker’s fear of romantic love. In picture-book form, it explores a parent’s unwavering love for a child, who grows from an infant into a toddler over the course of the narrative. The caregiver expresses awe when the youngster learns to stand and fear that the child might fall while beginning to walk. “I have spent every day waiting for you,” the parent says. “Darling, don’t be afraid.” What the child might fear isn’t clear from the joyful balloon- and rainbow-filled illustrations. The story borders on cloying, and words that might work when sung and accompanied by music don’t sound fresh on the page: “Time goes by. / You grow ever stronger as you fly.” The refrain, however, is a lovely sentiment: “I have loved you for a thousand years. / I’ll love you for a thousand more.” Perri’s legion of fans may flock to this version, illustrated by Ruiz with sparkling stars, bubbles, and big-eyed toddlers, but it doesn’t hold together as a narrative or an ode, as it’s billed, and it’s a long way from the original song. The child is tan-skinned, the parent is lighter-skinned, and other characters are diverse.
A sweet notion that falls flat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2025
ISBN: 9780593622599
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
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