Who better than a mythical being to share how to be exceptional?
Nine simple steps to become your unicorn best.
An essential question is posed: “Do you want to shine like a unicorn?” If not, no need to read any further. But in this story, the answer is an enthusiastic “Of course you do!” And extremely excited unicorn protagonist Glitter Poop can’t wait to share the secret steps that will make this dream come true. First, one must choose a unicorn name by combining “a fun word and a silly adjective.” (Sadly for readers, Glitter Poop is already taken.) Other steps follow: Don’t be afraid to stand out, to be curious, or to make your own fun. Maybe you can wear a hot dog hat on your head or learn words like grandiloquent. Step No. 7 is important: “Love yourself.” Even on those foolish “upside-down days where nothing looks right.” But Step No. 9? That is the “MOST IMPORTANT UNICORNY step of all.” It’s top secret. Glitter Poop warns readers to turn the page only if they are truly ready. Embellished with rainbows, confetti, doughnuts, and joy, Frost’s buoyant art rises to Glitter Poop’s energy. The rainbow-maned blue equine even cries extravagantly. The gray-suited green Martians with toilet-paper–roll horns are an especially good touch. A rousing call to action at the end unifies all unicorn-storytime devotees. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Who better than a mythical being to share how to be exceptional? (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 21, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-299833-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Sadly, the storytelling runs aground.
A little red sleigh has big Christmas dreams.
Although the detailed, full-color art doesn’t anthropomorphize the protagonist (which readers will likely identify as a sled and not a sleigh), a close third-person text affords the object thoughts and feelings while assigning feminine pronouns. “She longed to become Santa’s big red sleigh,” reads an early line establishing the sleigh’s motivation to leave her Christmas-shop home for the North Pole. Other toys discourage her, but she perseveres despite creeping self-doubt. A train and truck help the sleigh along, and when she wishes she were big, fast, and powerful like them, they offer encouragement and counsel patience. When a storm descends after the sleigh strikes out on her own, an unnamed girl playing in the snow brings her to a group of children who all take turns riding the sleigh down a hill. When the girl brings her home, the sleigh is crestfallen she didn’t reach the North Pole. A convoluted happily-ever-after ending shows a note from Santa that thanks the sleigh for giving children joy and invites her to the North Pole next year. “At last she understood what she was meant to do. She would build her life up spreading joy, one child at a time.” Will she leave the girl’s house to be gifted to other children? Will she stay and somehow also reach ever more children? Readers will be left wondering. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 31.8% of actual size.)
Sadly, the storytelling runs aground. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-72822-355-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
A wandering effort, happy but pointless.
The perfect book for kids who love dragons and mild tacos.
Rubin’s story starts with an incantatory edge: “Hey, kid! Did you know that dragons love tacos? They love beef tacos and chicken tacos. They love really big gigantic tacos and tiny little baby tacos as well.” The playing field is set: dragons, tacos. As a pairing, they are fairly silly, and when the kicker comes in—that dragons hate spicy salsa, which ignites their inner fireworks—the silliness is sillier still. Second nature, after all, is for dragons to blow flames out their noses. So when the kid throws a taco party for the dragons, it seems a weak device that the clearly labeled “totally mild” salsa comes with spicy jalapenos in the fine print, prompting the dragons to burn down the house, resulting in a barn-raising at which more tacos are served. Harmless, but if there is a parable hidden in the dragon-taco tale, it is hidden in the unlit deep, and as a measure of lunacy, bridled or unbridled, it doesn’t make the leap into the outer reaches of imagination. Salmieri’s artwork is fitting, with a crabbed, ethereal line work reminiscent of Peter Sís, but the story does not offer it enough range.
A wandering effort, happy but pointless. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3680-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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