The design and premise are appealing, but the overall execution doesn’t measure up
A collection of short stories about a friendship between a fox and a rabbit.
Young readers can take these bedtime entries singly or a few at a time, depending on evening energy. Friendship stories in the tradition of Frog and Toad or Elephant and Piggie are perennial favorites; however, the personalities here aren’t as distinct or as humorously juxtaposed as in the former two pairs. Simple chapter titles (“First Story”) are refreshingly clear if unusually nondescriptive; oddly, the conspicuously flagged “half” story—the “Eighth Story (and a Half)”—is not distinguished in any obvious way, including brevity. Story quality is uneven; several in which Fox and Rabbit can’t fall asleep truly engage. The first one, though, carries a whiff of stereotype reinforcement when Fox, covered inadvertently in chimney dust, is mistaken “for the wolf in the leather jacket” and assumed to be a threat due to his coal color. Wolf’s aggressive response to a perceived insult may be the “half” story; if so, it’s a jarring addition. Watercolors in earthy tan, green, aqua, and gray, outlined in scratchy black, fit the rustic setting. Full-color pictures—some spot, others full-page—add interest; white space, some relatively text-heavy pages, and a trim size smaller than a traditional picture book signal suitability for emerging independent readers.
The design and premise are appealing, but the overall execution doesn’t measure up . (Fiction. 5-9)Pub Date: March 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-77657-143-7
Page Count: 60
Publisher: Gecko Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 20, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
While the blend of folklore, fantasy and realism is certainly far-fetched, Imani, with her winning personality, is a child...
Imani endures the insults heaped upon her by the other village children, but she never gives up her dreams.
The Masai girl is tiny compared to the other children, but she is full of imagination and perseverance. Luckily, she has a mother who believes in her and tells her stories that will fuel that imagination. Mama tells her about the moon goddess, Olapa, who wins over the sun god. She tells Imani about Anansi, the trickster spider who vanquishes a larger snake. (Troublingly, the fact that Anansi is a West African figure, not of the Masai, goes unaddressed in both text and author’s note.) Inspired, the tiny girl tries to find new ways to achieve her dream: to touch the moon. One day, after crashing to the ground yet again when her leafy wings fail, she is ready to forget her hopes. That night, she witnesses the adumu, the special warriors’ jumping dance. Imani wakes the next morning, determined to jump to the moon. After jumping all day, she reaches the moon, meets Olapa and receives a special present from the goddess, a small moon rock. Now she becomes the storyteller when she relates her adventure to Mama. The watercolor-and-graphite illustrations have been enhanced digitally, and the night scenes of storytelling and fantasy with their glowing stars and moons have a more powerful impact than the daytime scenes, with their blander colors.
While the blend of folklore, fantasy and realism is certainly far-fetched, Imani, with her winning personality, is a child to be admired. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-934133-57-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Mackinac Island Press
Review Posted Online: July 28, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2014
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