by Laura Djupvik ; translated by Martin Aitken ; illustrated by Øyvind Torseter ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 11, 2025
A sophisticated look at the process of grief.
Loss lingers in the air.
After having a strange dream, a young girl asks her somber father to go out with her on the fjord. Though he’s reluctant, they sail onto the water and set out their fishing lines. To their shock, they catch an elongated, emaciated boy, who appears to be the girl’s recently deceased brother. After taking him back home and tending to him, the father and the young narrator get to celebrate one more night with their son and brother. The next morning, the boy walks back out to the sea; the surviving members of the family are now able to continue living their lives, though they’ll always have their memories. Originally published in Norway, this is a meditative musing on grief and the different journeys people take along the way. Torseter’s spare yet detailed illustrations effectively match the mood of the family. Earlier scenes featuring heavy crosshatching and a washed-out palette give way to spreads full of color that fill the page, showing that life eventually goes on, even after loss. Djupvik’s straightforward text captures the emotions felt while one is deep in mourning. All characters have skin the white of the page.
A sophisticated look at the process of grief. (author’s and illustrator’s notes) (Picture book. 6-9)Pub Date: March 11, 2025
ISBN: 9781962770026
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Elsewhere Editions
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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by Daymond John ; illustrated by Nicole Miles ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 21, 2023
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
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by J. Dillard ; illustrated by Akeem S. Roberts ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 3, 2021
A strong second outing for Dillard and J.D.
Breakout kid barber J.D. embraces a summer of opportunity.
Readers met J.D. Jones just as he took his hometown of Meridian, Mississippi, by storm, winning himself community acclaim and a chair at the revered Hart and Sons barbershop in series opener J.D. and the Great Barber Battle(2021). What’s next for the haircut prodigy? School’s just getting out, and there’s so much life happening outside—if only one can escape home learning with the grandparents. J.D.’s sister, Vanessa, brings along multitalented mutual friend Jessyka to share an ambitious challenge: “Let’s start a YouTube channel!” Can they get millions of views and wow the whole world? They are already amazing at haircuts and hairstyles—all they need is to learn how to make a great YouTube video. The story models strategies for scripting short videos reflecting the templates of viral YouTube hair tutorials, inviting readers to not only see the journey of the characters, but maybe also practice these skills at home. This book is bound to educate all about some of the most storied and cherished traditions within the Black community. Bringing in Vanessa is a great touch to extend the series across gender, and hopefully she’ll get a chance to lead her own adventures. This book blends skill-building, entrepreneurship, and strong family values to give young Black children visions of what’s possible when they follow their passions and embrace their community.
A strong second outing for Dillard and J.D. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-11155-0
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Kokila
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
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More In The Series
by J. Dillard ; illustrated by Akeem S. Roberts
by J. Dillard ; illustrated by Akeem S. Roberts
More by J. Dillard
BOOK REVIEW
by J. Dillard ; illustrated by Akeem S. Roberts
BOOK REVIEW
by J. Dillard ; illustrated by Akeem S. Roberts
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