A fine message of hope with a charming cast of rodents.
A mouse goes on a quest for a better life in this original fairy tale from author/illustrator Nedelcu (Just Like Daddy, 2015).
Four mice of various colors live together in a cave. Green Mouse wishes for better food than rotten fruit, Red Mouse is angry they live in the dark, Blue Mouse is afraid of everything, and Gray Mouse is full of doubt, wondering if this is all there is. When a Yellow Mouse appears with the promise of a quest for a better future, the mice join in even though Gray Mouse doubts that Yellow Mouse’s promises will come true. Their journey reveals that they’re actually on the back of a dragon; Yellow Mouse promises that if the mice can control their hunger, anger, and fear and hold onto hope for something better, they’ll triumph. It’s predictable that the mice fall prey to their failings, and Yellow Mouse continues without them; when they set off again, it’s Gray Mouse who perseveres. There’s a gloriously colorful happy ending, even for the three mice left behind, involving a rainbow of rodents living in harmony. Nedelcu’s characters’ illustrations are strong, with signifying features beyond their bright-colored fur, and they keep the dark, twisty setting from becoming overwhelming.
A fine message of hope with a charming cast of rodents.Pub Date: April 24, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-9998181-0-7
Page Count: 38
Publisher: On Press
Review Posted Online: March 6, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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