A stunning ode to the power of books, friendship, and the authentically lived life.
When Clara’s hardworking mother asks her to deliver clean laundry to the man in the big house, the young girl opens the door to a transformative friendship.
The man in the big house stays there—he’s a mysterious recluse who never goes outdoors. In exchange for her mother’s work, he leaves payment for Clara under the doormat. When curious Clara peers into the window, the man asks her name and whether she can read. Next time she visits, Clara finds a book tucked under the mat as well. Clara begins to spend more time with the man, browsing his bookshelves, reading quietly on his floor, and getting to know him. She learns that he was once in love with another man, but when his love decided to leave, the man wasn’t brave enough to go with him. The man explains the meaning of the word courage and the importance of living openly as one’s true self—a complex lesson that will nevertheless reverberate. Trach’s somber yet mesmerizing sepia-toned pencil illustrations are layered in collage-style textures, amplifying this Argentinian import’s minimal text, translated from Spanish. Clara and certain important visual subjects are brightly colored, while background scenery is depicted sparingly, and other objects are sketched only in pencil outline. Clothing and houses imply a rural early-20th-century setting; Clara’s pale-skinned, while the man is rendered in gray, as if in shadow.
A stunning ode to the power of books, friendship, and the authentically lived life. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: May 20, 2025
ISBN: 9781778402517
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Greystone Kids
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
A lesson that never grows old, enacted with verve by two favorite friends
Gerald the elephant learns a truth familiar to every preschooler—heck, every human: “Waiting is not easy!”
When Piggie cartwheels up to Gerald announcing that she has a surprise for him, Gerald is less than pleased to learn that the “surprise is a surprise.” Gerald pumps Piggie for information (it’s big, it’s pretty, and they can share it), but Piggie holds fast on this basic principle: Gerald will have to wait. Gerald lets out an almighty “GROAN!” Variations on this basic exchange occur throughout the day; Gerald pleads, Piggie insists they must wait; Gerald groans. As the day turns to twilight (signaled by the backgrounds that darken from mauve to gray to charcoal), Gerald gets grumpy. “WE HAVE WASTED THE WHOLE DAY!…And for WHAT!?” Piggie then gestures up to the Milky Way, which an awed Gerald acknowledges “was worth the wait.” Willems relies even more than usual on the slightest of changes in posture, layout and typography, as two waiting figures can’t help but be pretty static. At one point, Piggie assumes the lotus position, infuriating Gerald. Most amusingly, Gerald’s elephantine groans assume weighty physicality in spread-filling speech bubbles that knock Piggie to the ground. And the spectacular, photo-collaged images of the Milky Way that dwarf the two friends makes it clear that it was indeed worth the wait.
A lesson that never grows old, enacted with verve by two favorite friends . (Early reader. 6-8)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4231-9957-1
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2014
Approachable and comfortably predictable.
A young ghost arrives at Scare School.
Unlike big sister Bella, late bloomer Bash has never been good at “all the GHOST STUFF.” Dad’s sure that Scare School is just what Bash needs. Bash isn’t so certain; he’s intimidated by his classmates and teachers. But he perks up when he meets his roommate, Itsy, a smart, welcoming spider, though he vows to steer clear of mean-spirited Vlad and Vicky. Still, the dreaded Creature Aptitude Test worries Bash. To pass, he must pass through solid objects and turn himself invisible—skills he struggles with. Bash doesn’t want to be kicked out of school, so he’ll have to buckle down. With Itsy’s help and encouragement from his classmates, Bash realizes he’s more capable than he thought. Written in first person from endearingly anxious Bash’s point of view, the book has a diarylike feel. The text is presented in a handwritten font, while grayscale cartoon illustrations are peppered throughout. The supportive, sincere friendship between Bash and Itsy is the most compelling part of the story. Letters between Bash and Bella shed further light on Bash’s personality and their relationship. Though the book’s takeaway—believe in yourself, and you can do anything—is a familiar one, it’s just what many children need…and who better to deliver the message than an adorably nervous ghost?
Approachable and comfortably predictable. (Fiction. 6-8)Pub Date: July 16, 2024
ISBN: 9781665922098
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: April 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2024
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