All readers will find the handsome illustrations a wonder, while Tove Jansson enthusiasts will adore the homage.
In this tribute to the life of Moomin author Tove Jansson, a young girl pursues five naughty, troll-like creatures.
Tove arrives at her summer home, where Moomin-like drawings adorn the wall. She begins exploring the striking yet desolate island, a prominent setting in Jansson's life and work. Here, the semi-biographical elements diverge into a fantasy that, per Soloy’s author’s note, was “inspired by Tove’s life and the stories she wrote about her own childhood” (readers will need to consult the backmatter to make that connection). Tove visits a friend—a small, hairy brown creature—to care for his five wild daughters, all “tiny as shells.” A gust of wind blows the youngsters away, and Tove follows, picking up treasures and musing about the island’s mercurial nature before finally locating the wayward girls. She returns home, soaked but satisfied, to her mother’s warm sweater and “piping hot pancakes.” The narrative is pleasingly crisp yet contemplative; Soloy describes salvageas “a gift the sea gives you” and asks readers to “imagine never getting soaked to the bone and then getting dry again…How dreadful!” But it’s her rugged, elemental digital illustrations that steal the show. Thick black outlining and gorgeous, darkly atmospheric, Jansson-inspired backgrounds of stormy skies and sea contrast against slashes of light and warm, colorful domestic scenes.
All readers will find the handsome illustrations a wonder, while Tove Jansson enthusiasts will adore the homage. (Picture book. 4-9)Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2024
ISBN: 9781774883150
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
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
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