Another just-right adventure with this appealing duo, sure to reassure and embolden the very young.
Billie experiences a moment of magic in the snow.
Billie, Mom, and Bean, their round gray dog, ride the bus to the ski slopes. Last year, Mom pulled Billie in a sled, but this year, Billie’s enrolled in ski school. Mom, ensconced in a chair on the ski lodge’s porch with a warm mug and a blanket over her knees, “has been busy at work” and “needs to rest.” Joined by Bean, she watches Billie but soon falls asleep. A cautious skier, Billie slowly snowplows all the way on her first run down. Back at the bottom of the slope, Billie doesn’t want to ride the ski lift again. A poster about dog sledding gives Bean a clever idea, and she hitches Bean to a small toboggan. At first the ride is lovely, but Bean shakes free, and Billie finds herself in a snowdrift under the dark, snow-laden branches of the trees. The way out isn’t apparent until a white-coated ermine leads the way. “How did you find your way back to the slope?” Billie’s friend asks her on the bus home. “It’s a secret,” replies Billie. The simple story, translated from Swedish, captures the uncertainties and triumphs of childhood, all of which may seem small to adults but are larger-than-life to youngsters. The crisp yet gentle illustrations make terrific use of color and perspective. Billie and Mom are brown-skinned; theirs is a diverse community.
Another just-right adventure with this appealing duo, sure to reassure and embolden the very young. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2024
ISBN: 9781459841147
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available.
A ghost learns to appreciate his differences.
The little ghost protagonist of this title is unusual. He’s a quilt, not a lightweight sheet like his parents and friends. He dislikes being different despite his mom’s reassurance that his ancestors also had unconventional appearances. Halloween makes the little ghost happy, though. He decides to watch trick-or-treaters by draping over a porch chair—but lands on a porch rail instead. A mom accompanying her daughter picks him up, wraps him around her chilly daughter, and brings him home with them! The family likes his looks and comforting warmth, and the little ghost immediately feels better about himself. As soon as he’s able to, he flies out through the chimney and muses happily that this adventure happened only due to his being a quilt. This odd but gently told story conveys the importance of self-respect and acceptance of one’s uniqueness. The delivery of this positive message has something of a heavy-handed feel and is rushed besides. It also isn’t entirely logical: The protagonist could have been a different type of covering; a blanket, for instance, might have enjoyed an identical experience. The soft, pleasing illustrations’ palette of tans, grays, white, black, some touches of color, and, occasionally, white text against black backgrounds suggest isolation, such as the ghost feels about himself. Most humans, including the trick-or-treating mom and daughter, have beige skin. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-16.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 66.2% of actual size.)
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7352-6447-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
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