Warm-spirited family holiday togetherness
Set in Australia, this take on baking a traditional Jewish food focuses on a family of koalas.
Little sister Lila is eager to help her koala family prepare for the Friday night Shabbat celebration, but her efforts are more messy than useful. “Koala bears love eucalyptus!” and so Lila tries to make eucalyptus candles, unsuccessfully. Her attempts to make wine with eucalyptus leave a messy kitchen, as does her craft project to adorn the dinner table. Finally, Lila gets permission to bake a challah, the traditional braided egg bread served for the Sabbath, provided she practices. Each night, starting on Sunday, she bakes but puts in too much or too little from the ingredient list. On Friday, she finally succeeds in baking a delicious bread with the addition of that very special koala favorite, and the family sits down to a wonderful holiday dinner. Lila’s father wears a kippah on his head, showing that they are observant. Both families who hold Sabbath dinners and those who do not will enjoy Lila’s efforts to contribute. Placing the story in an unusual setting should lead to discussions about variations in food preparation and long-cherished customs. Mola’s colorful, full-bleed illustrations fill in some of the details of the recipe not in the text and add to the enjoyment.
Warm-spirited family holiday togetherness . (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5124-2087-6
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Kar-Ben
Review Posted Online: July 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
A disappointing follow-up.
Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).
While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.
A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
A steady paean to time’s passing and the pleasures found along the way.
A front-seat view of a school bus’s long and varied life.
Deftly invoking the anthropomorphized objects in books of old (as in the works of Virginia Lee Burton), Long introduces readers to a small town and the yellow bus that serves it. Using charcoal and graphite, the author/artist portrays a mostly black-and-white world; he relies on colorful acrylics to depict those who enter the bus (who's described with female pronouns), including children ferried to school. Time goes on, and the bus is repurposed to take the elderly around town. Later, she’s abandoned near an overpass but finds a new role sheltering unhoused people. Finally, she’s taken to a farm, where she becomes a playground for goats. With each iteration, we hear the sounds of her passengers, human and otherwise, and the repeated phrase “And they filled her with joy.” At long last a damming project leaves her underwater, but fish find a home in the bus and make her happy. A final view of the town displays a single wavery point of yellow visible beneath the water. Backmatter explains both Long’s inspiration and the model town he made as a visual aid. Though this is a tale of decay over time, the book’s gentle narration, fun sound effects, and empathy grant the old vehicle dignity in her deconstruction. Characters are diverse.
A steady paean to time’s passing and the pleasures found along the way. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 25, 2024
ISBN: 9781250903136
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
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