A delightful tour of popular international tourist destinations for young readers.
Zivkov’s children’s book explores the world through imagination.
In this illustrated book, the author pairs rhyming passages about international travel with whimsical illustrations by Kasha. “Did you know that your mind can travel and wander to any magical place within space and all over the world?” the narrator asks at the outset. Zivkov tells readers that their minds are “magic” and can transport them anywhere. As a boy launches paper airplanes on a grassy hill, the author urges, “Now let’s try it! Let your mind take flight. You can wonder as you wander, and you’ll be alright.” The first stop is New York City, with its “glimmer and glitz” and “shimmering lights.” Next, it’s off to Mexico, notable for its pyramids and mariachi bands, where “the culture is so magnetic, it makes you feel energetic.” In Italy, a girl enjoys “the pizza, the pasta, the passion, the beauty, and history galore.” Meanwhile, in France, one can “hang out all day” in the many parks or dance under the lights of the Eiffel Tower at night. Imaginative children learn that they can also visit Big Ben in London, befriend elephants in Thailand, or skydive in New Zealand. The author uses simple, kid-friendly language throughout the book, evoking both wonder (“Your mind is like a shooting star”) and humor (“If you’re lucky, you might even see two kangaroos fight” in Australia). While Zivkov emphasizes cultural appreciation, some of the representations feed into (largely harmless) stereotypes; for example, in Paris, “people say ‘oui oui’ and ‘merci.’ Maybe you even wear a beret as you eat a baguette.” Kasha’s bright watercolors burst forth from the page in daytime scenes and inspire a dreamy state in nighttime scenes. The illustrator effectively balances panoramas of the many destinations with snapshots of children with varying skin and hair tones interacting with nature and wildlife in each locale.
A delightful tour of popular international tourist destinations for young readers.Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2024
ISBN: 9798990724402
Page Count: -
Publisher: Mindful Wonders, LLC
Review Posted Online: Sept. 24, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A solid addition to Rotner’s seasonal series. Bring on summer.
Rotner follows up her celebrations of spring and autumn with this look at all things winter.
Beginning with the signs that winter is coming—bare trees, shorter days, colder temperatures—Rotner eases readers into the season. People light fires and sing songs on the solstice, trees and plants stop growing, and shadows grow long. Ice starts to form on bodies of water and windows. When the snow flies, the fun begins—bundle up and then build forts, make snowballs and snowmen (with eyebrows!), sled, ski (nordic is pictured), skate, snowshoe, snowboard, drink hot chocolate. Animals adapt to the cold as well. “Birds grow more feathers” (there’s nothing about fluffing and air insulation) and mammals, more hair. They have to search for food, and Rotner discusses how many make or find shelter, slow down, hibernate, or go underground or underwater to stay warm. One page talks about celebrating holidays with lights and decorations. The photos show a lit menorah, an outdoor deciduous tree covered in huge Christmas bulbs, a girl next to a Chinese dragon head, a boy with lit luminarias, and some fireworks. The final spread shows signs of the season’s shift to spring. Rotner’s photos, as always, are a big draw. The children are a marvelous mix of cultures and races, and all show their clear delight with winter.
A solid addition to Rotner’s seasonal series. Bring on summer. (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3976-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
A lovely encouragement to young writers to persist.
This follow-up to How To Read a Story (2005) shows a child going through the steps of creating a story, from choosing an idea through sharing with friends.
A young black child lies in a grassy field writing in a journal, working on “Step 1 / Search for an Idea— / a shiny one.” During a walk to the library, various ideas float in colorful thought bubbles, with exclamation points: “playing soccer! / dogs!” Inside the library, less-distinct ideas, expressed as shapes and pictures, with question marks, float about as the writer collects ideas to choose from. The young writer must then choose a setting, a main character, and a problem for that protagonist. Plotting, writing with detail, and revising are described in child-friendly terms and shown visually, in the form of lists and notes on faux pieces of paper. Finally, the writer sits in the same field, in a new season, sharing the story with friends. The illustrations feature the child’s writing and drawing as well as images of imagined events from the book in progress bursting off the page. The child’s main character is an adventurous mermaid who looks just like the child, complete with afro-puff pigtails, representing an affirming message about writing oneself into the world. The child’s family, depicted as black, moves in the background of the setting, which is also populated by a multiracial cast.
A lovely encouragement to young writers to persist. (Informational picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: July 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4521-5666-8
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
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