In centering a child of color as a source of wisdom, the book makes a positive statement for young readers
Holub and Patricelli are back with another Mini Myth; here, a dark-skinned, bespectacled tot named Athena shows off her preternaturally advanced fine-motor skills by tying a plethora of bows.
When a white toddler with a spider T-shirt and flapping laces on her shoes sees Athena tying her shoes, Athena helps out. The child then shows off the big pink bows to the others in what seems to be their day care or preschool but must confess that it was Athena who tied them. “I can teach you,” says helpful Athena, and she does. Patricelli depicts a racially diverse group of appealing kids who mostly look as though they dressed themselves. The story is evidently inspired by Athena’s role in introducing weaving to mortals, as evidenced by a closing note that summarizes the fate of Arachne. Companion title Don’t Get Lost, Odysseus! tells the story of a dark-skinned boy with a thatch of black hair who gets lost in a nautically themed playspace while shopping with his mother; a smiling cyclops is a significant feature. This book too closes with a summary of the title character’s original story. Like the others in the series, both books take their source material as inspiration for their themes rather than attempting to actually retell the classic tales for an audience too young to sit still for them.
In centering a child of color as a source of wisdom, the book makes a positive statement for young readers . (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: March 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4197-1898-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: April 12, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
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An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to.
This simplified version of Diesen and Hanna’s The Pout-Pout Fish (2008) is appropriate for babies and toddlers.
Brief, rhyming text tells the story of a sullen fish cheered up with a kiss. A little pink sea creature pokes his head out of a hole in the sea bottom to give the gloomy fish some advice: “Smile, Mr. Fish! / You look so down // With your glum-glum face / And your pout-pout frown.” He explains that there’s no reason to be worried, scared, sad or mad and concludes: “How about a smooch? / And a cheer-up wish? // Now you look happy: / What a smile, Mr. Fish!” Simple and sweet, this tale offers the lesson that sometimes, all that’s needed for a turnaround in mood is some cheer and encouragement to change our perspective. The clean, uncluttered illustrations are kept simple, except for the pout-pout fish’s features, which are delightfully expressive. Little ones will easily recognize and likely try to copy the sad, scared and angry looks that cross the fish’s face.
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-374-37084-8
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Another branded entry that offers little beyond the minimum requirements.
The Pout-Pout Fish brand expands.
Halloween is here, and Mr. Pout-Pout Fish is giving out treats from his submarine home. Those familiar with the blue striped fish will find the usual uncluttered illustrations and rhyming scheme (“Who’s at the helm / of the spooky submarine? // It’s you, Mr. Fish! / Have a happy Halloween!”). New readers may be drawn in by the colorful costumes the various fish wear as they trick-or-treat along the ocean floor. Keen-eyed readers with some pumpkin-carving experience may wonder how a jack-o’-lantern can be lit under water. This board book is a fairly standard look at Halloween, putting a popular character in common holiday trappings and adding nothing else. Fans of the holiday will have to look elsewhere for a more exciting take on Halloween’s thrills.
Another branded entry that offers little beyond the minimum requirements. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Aug. 9, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-374-30191-0
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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