Kids who are ill here on Earth may be entertained by this look at one alien’s cold and his family’s attempts to make him...
Think you have a bad cold? How much worse would it be if your anatomy included two throats, three noses, and five ears?!
Little Alien’s parents and pet try to help him feel better in ways that will seem both familiar and out-of-this-world to earthling readers. When his son’s throats are sore, Daddy Alien zooms off in his spaceship and returns with a Milky Way milkshake. “Granny Alien’s Famous Shooting-Star Ear Drops” are just the ticket for earaches. And when Little Alien complains of his stuffy noses, Daddy Alien calls in the “lunar decongestants,” a trio of little green creatures who carry what might be construed as instruments of torture, especially considering the reactions of Little Alien and Mars Rover. A cool meteor shower for his fever and a settling into bed, and all seems set for sleep…except for the sneeze. Mars Rover can’t take seeing his friend so sick, and so he pulls out all the stops to make Little Alien feel better. Campbell’s pen, watercolor, and colored pencil illustrations keep the focus on the central action, though there are enough tantalizing details of the alien world to whet readers’ appetites. Mama Alien is pink, Daddy’s blue, and their son is green. All are expressive.
Kids who are ill here on Earth may be entertained by this look at one alien’s cold and his family’s attempts to make him feel better. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6502-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Aug. 20, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2017
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
An accessible entrance into the world of social-emotional skills.
What do you do when the world turns upside down?
Freckled redhead Tilda is a happy only child with a rollicking personality. With lots of books and toys and a multiracial group of friends, life is perfect as far as she’s concerned…until her world undergoes a troubling change (a subtle hint in the illustrations suggests that Tilda’s parents have divorced). Suddenly, nothing feels right, everything seems hard, and she doesn’t want to play with her friends. To reflect this emotional disorientation, the artwork shows Tilda in spatially distorted settings, complete with upside-down objects. It’s not until she sees an upturned ladybug struggle persistently before getting back on its feet (despite Tilda’s desire to help, the ladybug needs to help itself) that Tilda gains the courage to start taking baby steps in order to cope with her new reality. There are still challenges, and she needs to persevere, but eventually, she regains her zest for life and reconnects with her friends. Despite this, the ending avoids an easy happily-ever-after, which feels just right for the subject matter. Though a trifle didactic, the story sends an important message about the roles of self-efficacy and persistence when it comes to overcoming challenges and building resilience. Percival’s digital illustrations use transitions from grayscale to color to create symbolic meaning and have psychological depth, deftly capturing a child’s experience of trauma.
An accessible entrance into the world of social-emotional skills. (author's note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0822-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2022
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