Try it. You’ll like it.
Will little Lola the flamingo ever eat her flock’s preferred menu of shrimp?
Lola’s pink-flamingo parents urge their little, gray chick to eat shrimp so that she will share their rosy plumage and grow up big and strong. She demurs, finding the crustaceans “soggy,” “muddy,” and “yucky.” Instead, finicky flamingo Lola sneaks off and seeks out a variety of tropical fruits. An avocado turns her feathers green, pepino melons, yellow, and dragon fruits, fuchsia with black spots. “¡Ay de mí!” Mami cries at each instance. But it’s her parents’ encouragement rather than their alarm that encourages Lola to finally try to eat shrimp. But like Dr. Seuss’ protagonist with his green eggs and ham, it turns out that Lola does like shrimp after all when she finally gives them a chance. James’ text employs pattern, repetition, and alliteration, making it a pleasure to read aloud. Young listeners will key in on, as Lola’s parents do, the rebellious flamingo’s typical prelude to sneaking away for a nonshrimp snack: “Lola dillies on her right leg. / Lola dallies on her left leg. / She dips her black-tipped beak into the water.” Rivera’s expressive, comical illustrations capture Lola’s transformation with aplomb, concluding with a triumphant picture of the not-so-little-anymore chick taking flight, her plumage now blushing a bright pink. Backmatter facts about flamingos round out the offering.
Try it. You’ll like it. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-7282-0970-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: April 7, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2020
A disappointing follow-up.
Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).
While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.
A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
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