A well-meaning lesson in acceptance and identity overshadowed by flattening and problematic cultural depictions.
Seeking a beloved lost belonging, Layla embarks on a journey.
Layla, a blue-skinned, dark-haired girl, enjoys an idyllic childhood in the world of Blue. When fire falls from the sky and carries away the treasured scarf her mother gave her, she sails across the sea in search of it. In the worlds of Green, Yellow, Red, Orange, and Purple (where cultural symbols and attire imply European, Middle Eastern, Asian, African, and Latin American settings respectively), the inhabitants, uninterested in other colors, send her away. But when she arrives in the Rainbow world, the people, who are diverse in skin tone, help her find the object (a note at the end makes clear that the scarf symbolizes identity). As she wraps herself in the scarf, she is welcomed to a new, more accepting land. Though the artwork is attractive, with graphic shapes and shaded textures, the stereotypical imagery is jarring—in the world of Red, Layla meets East Asian people with lines for eyes, including a geishalike figure, along with a dragon and a tiger; in the world of Orange, she encounters Black people wearing tribal marks and masks in a desert landscape as well as a monkey, a giraffe, and a cheetah. While the rather simplistic messages of inclusivity and embracing one’s identity may resonate with readers, they are lost amid the illustrations, which distill these rich cultures down to the level of cliché. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A well-meaning lesson in acceptance and identity overshadowed by flattening and problematic cultural depictions. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-7624-7889-7
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Running Press Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2022
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
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Quirky, familiar fun for series devotees.
After Duncan finds his crayons gone—yet again—letters arrive, detailing their adventures in friendship.
Eleven crayons send missives from their chosen spots throughout Duncan’s home (and one from his classroom). Red enjoys the thrill of extinguishing “pretend fires” with Duncan’s toy firetruck. White, so often dismissed as invisible, finds a new calling subbing in for the missing queen on the black-and-white chessboard. “Now everyone ALWAYS SEES ME!…(Well, half the time!)” Pink’s living the dream as a pastry chef helming the Breezy Bake Oven, “baking everything from little cupcakes…to…OTHER little cupcakes!” Teal, who’s hitched a ride to school in Duncan’s backpack, meets the crayons in the boy’s desk and writes, “Guess what? I HAVE A TWIN! How come you never told me?” Duncan wants to see his crayons and “meet their new friends.” A culminating dinner party assembles the crayons and their many guests: a table tennis ball, dog biscuits, a well-loved teddy bear, and more. The premise—personified crayons, away and back again—is well-trammeled territory by now, after over a dozen books and spinoffs, and Jeffers once more delivers his signature cartooning and hand-lettering. Though the pages lack the laugh-out-loud sight gags and side-splittingly funny asides of previous outings, readers—especially fans of the crayons’ previous outings—will enjoy checking in on their pals.
Quirky, familiar fun for series devotees. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 3, 2025
ISBN: 9780593622360
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
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