A lovely story that intertwines a girl’s past and present into an honest reflection of her family.
A Black Canadian girl is curious about the father she never knew.
Malaika tells her mother and her grandmother about how she dreamed of a man with a basket of fruit. She soon learns that her father was a migrant worker who came to Canada before the rest of the family did but became sick and died here. The family travels to the farm where her father used to work. The farmworkers tell Malaika that he wanted to have a parade, “like back home,” and ask her to lead the Carnival parade in his honor. She puts up flyers asking others in their neighborhood to donate “pieces of cloth that remind you of home,” and together Malaika and Grandma create a gorgeous Carnival flag. Malaika appears to be part of a blended family, with a White-presenting French Canadian stepfather, Papa Fred, and stepsister, Adele; her mother and grandmother are Black. Though Malaika’s family’s country of origin isn’t mentioned, in an author’s note Hohn mentions her grandfather, a seasonal worker in the United States who died before returning home to Jamaica. The themes of immigrant communities, loving and supportive blended families, and finding ways to honor tradition and community shine brilliantly in this picture book. The illustrations, a combination of gouache and soft pastels, have a hazy look—ideal for bringing to life the child’s dreams of her father and showing how he’s still with her, no matter what. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A lovely story that intertwines a girl’s past and present into an honest reflection of her family. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9781773068503
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Groundwood
Review Posted Online: Feb. 7, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2023
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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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