An entertaining, educational introduction to New York for readers of all ages.
A young fox tours New York City in this rhyming picture book.
Fitz is thrilled to visit New York for the first time. The fox and his mom take a taxi and visit landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge. On their way to the Central Park Zoo, Fitz worries because they missed their subway stop. Luckily, they make it to the Bronx Zoo in time to feed the penguins. Next, they tour famous places like Times Square. Fitz often describes what he sees (“We’re...walking on a lawn—in a giant park with a lake that has boats to ride on”). The sightseeing continues as they wander through museums and visit Grand Central Terminal. Though exhausted from his jam-packed excursion, Fitz can’t wait for his next adventure. This series opener offers a welcoming look at New York. Reese Traves displays clear knowledge of the locales depicted; each page featuring a specific attraction provides “sidebars” with relevant facts. For example, on a page showing the Empire State Building, the supplemental text explains: “This building has 79 elevators…it is one of the most photographed buildings in the world.” This wealth of information makes the book best suited as a kid-friendly travel guide as opposed to a traditional read-aloud. The charming, creative illustrations by Jon Traves, the author’s husband, amplify the text. Readers will appreciate the unique interpretations of city life with fun extras like meticulously detailed maps.
An entertaining, educational introduction to New York for readers of all ages.Pub Date: Aug. 10, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-73460-210-4
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Good Avenue Books
Review Posted Online: July 15, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
PERSPECTIVES
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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