The clever approach to an age-old bedtime issue will help strengthen vulnerable little minds with some resilient thinking.
Enlisting the powers of some awesome heroes transforms a child’s nightmares into commanding dreams in this bilingual flight of the imagination.
Julio’s nightly search for monsters lurking in his room is interrupted by his father, who reminds the boy that “for every bad dream, you can have a good dream to help defeat your fears.” Papa lists all the conquering heroes for each scary creature. A mighty hunter will take care of a snarling mammoth, a crafty falcon will catch a scary scorpion, a strong wrestler will defeat a roaring jaguar, and so on. Julio’s confidence and assertiveness grow with each new dueling scenario Papa introduces. The bad dreams are presented in the active, anime-style digital scenes as ghoulish, roaring, teeth-gnashing, eye-popping creatures. Plucked from many world mythologies, the characters are rendered in dark, opaque colors with the occasional explosion of red and yellow, and they are drawn with sharp, jagged lines, making each tableau jump off the page. Children will notice how Julio’s expression grows increasingly stern, bold and intimidating, as well as how his garb and even skin tone change to match the various legendary heroes he emulates. English text appears over Spanish in every spread, with key words printed in uppercase letters.
The clever approach to an age-old bedtime issue will help strengthen vulnerable little minds with some resilient thinking. (Bilingual picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-59702-103-6
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Immedium
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A light touch delivers an increasingly common but important message.
As her name suggests, Itty Bitty Betty Blob is a small, amorphous monster, but that’s not what sets her apart.
It’s Betty’s cheerful demeanor that makes her different from her peers. What kind of monster “rejoice[s] at rainbows” and “dance[s] among the dandelions”? Betty’s pink hue also distinguishes her from her classmates, who are rendered in a black-and-white palette, and makes her stand out in her rather somber, expressionistic setting. Brief, alliterative sentences keep the pages turning as readers learn about her trouble fitting in at school: While the other students faithfully reproduce a still life of dead flowers on a table, hers is a vibrant image of a living, yellow daisy. The crisis comes to a head on picture day. Despite the dreadful outfit her mother selects, Betty can’t grimace fiercely enough. As she travels through the spooky forest to school, the diminutive monster is distracted by a pink puff. Following it, she encounters an entire fluffy community that encourages her to be true to herself. Her frightful frock becomes an extravaganza of flowers. The climax involves a mood transformation for the entire class as puffs emerge from Betty’s dress, tickling everyone as the flash goes off. Children will enjoy the humor in the reversal of expectations around classroom culture—and will be heartened by Betty’s willingness to embrace what makes her different—although subsequent readings don’t yield much more.
A light touch delivers an increasingly common but important message. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: June 4, 2024
ISBN: 9781662640148
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Hippo Park/Astra Books for Young Readers
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
