Enchanting and intriguing.
A young girl journeys on the back of a flying whale in this picture book, first published in Switzerland and translated from German into English.
Ida, a redheaded white girl who lives in a treehouse in a peaceful birch forest, often wonders “what lay beyond.” One night, woken by the shaking of her treehouse, she peers out to see a flying whale. Gugger and Röthlisberger’s sumptuous illustrations, evocative of the work of Lisbeth Zwerger, are infused with the sort of whimsical detail that makes for the best fantasy ambiance. When the whale invites Ida to go on a journey with him “beyond the stars,” Ida accepts eagerly. They talk about “all kinds of things. BIG and little” and eventually come to a place where everything is upside down. Here, the whale nudges the puzzled Ida to think beyond what she thinks is “normal”; and later, Ida’s question about why a flower is sending its seeds to the sky prompts the whale to explain, “So it can grow again…all of us grow.” Themes of curious exploration, growth, and friendship are all introduced in this whimsical, delicate way, accompanied by evocative illustrations. The only off-note is an inconsistency in the illustrative depictions of the size relationship between Ida and the whale, and while it could possibly be excused by the fantasy nature of the story, it’s noticeable. The endpaper illustrations deftly underscore the enrichment that results from journeys.
Enchanting and intriguing. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: April 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4341-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
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