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FIREFLIES

Name: FIREFLIES
Author: Roberto Aliaga
ISBN: 978-84-16733-54-5

by Roberto Aliaga ; illustrated by Miguel Ángel Díez ; translated by Jon Brokenbrow ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 5, 2019

For those who have lost home; for those who will always be searching.

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Themes of displacement, community, and facing the unknown suffuse this picture book.

White text pops off warm, nighttime-blue double-page spreads. Dots of yellow light from anthropomorphic “fireflies” feel familiar and welcoming. The glowing fireflies have very human bodies, translucent wings, pale complexions, and elfin noses; they wear unremarkable Western clothing. Despite their transcendent qualities, the fireflies encounter very human needs of food and home as their dwellings in a city park are destroyed by excavators. With the spirit of a road trip, this existential quest commences as the intergenerational group soars through the evening with suitcases and maps in hand. Whether it’s due to a forgotten teddy, lost friends, or a misplaced sense of direction entirely, each featured firefly relies on encouragement from another in the party for the necessary confidence to move along. The ceaseless night and the uncertainty among so many fireflies remind readers that sometimes a destination will remain elusive, particularly for those forced into movement. The distinctive feel of stone-paper pages is a grounding complement to the uprooted nature of this narrative about a group of people involuntarily searching for a new home.

For those who have lost home; for those who will always be searching. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2019

ISBN: 978-84-16733-54-5

Page Count: 28

Publisher: Cuento de Luz

Review Posted Online: July 13, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2019

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

- BOOK REVIEW
THE LITTLE GOLDEN KEY
by Roberto Aliaga ; illustrated by Dani Padrón ; translated by Jon Brokenbrow

- BOOK REVIEW
A NIGHT TIME STORY
by Roberto Aliaga & illustrated by Sonja Wimmer

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: June 21, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.

Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)