Tan’s singular imagination invokes appreciation for the imprint that lingers from someone special, even after separation.
Ever sensitive to the outsider, Tan examines a diminutive foreign exchange student’s visit through the consternation of his hosts.
With a thin, triangular body, spindly appendages, and a head reminiscent of a maple leaf, Eric exudes vulnerability when strapped into a car with a seat belt or peering into an elephant’s cage. His dark-gray form contrasts with the lighter settings in the square panels—one or more to a page—rendered in graphite. The narrator and Mum are not depicted. This story originally appeared in Tan’s Tales From Outer Suburbia (2009). The few changes relate to picture-book pacing: Longer sentences are split to accompany single images; new art and visual tweaks invite slow reflection. Curious and confounding, Eric draws a sink’s drain as a flower (paired with a question mark) and abandons his bedroom for a teacup in the pantry. Such decisions are chalked up to “a cultural thing” by Mum, who only wants him to be happy. When Eric departs, the narrator is bewildered, but readers are then invited to view the pantry for what is “still there after all these years, thriving in the darkness.” Colored pencils create a marvelous array of flowers arising from “small things” Eric had collected, a rainbow-hued thank-you note nestled inside the cup and a familiar shadow on the saucer.
Tan’s singular imagination invokes appreciation for the imprint that lingers from someone special, even after separation. (Picture book. 5-9)Pub Date: Oct. 20, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-338-62208-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind.
The cool beans again step up to do a timorous fellow legume a fava…this time at the pool.
Will a rash decision to tackle the multistory super-slide lead to another embarrassing watery fail for our shy protagonist? Nope, for up the stairs right behind comes a trio of cool beans, each a different type and color, all clad in nothing but dark shades. They make an offer: “It’s not as scary if you go with friends!” As the knobby nerd explains once the thrilling ride down is done, “They all realized that I just needed some encouragement and support.” Just to make sure that both cool and uncool readers get the message, the narrator lets us know that “there are plenty of kind folks who have my back. They’re always there when I need them.” The beany bonhomie doesn’t end at the bottom of the slide, with all gliding down to the shallow end of the pool (“3 INCHES. NO DIVING”) for a splashy finale. This latest early reader starring characters from John and Oswald’s immensely popular Food Group series will be a hit with fans. Fun accessories, such as a bean who rocks pink cat-eye frames, add some pizzazz to the chromatically and somatotypically varied cast.
Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind. (Easy reader. 5-7)Pub Date: March 26, 2024
ISBN: 9780063329560
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
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