Oddball politicians are still sometimes worth celebrating.
Moral: Odd is good.
Daniel loves to walk backward and on his hands. He eats soup for breakfast and cereal for dinner. Why he enjoys this is never explained, and of course it doesn’t need to be explained to any school-age child. But headstands are very bad behavior on a field trip to the prime minister’s house, or at least that’s what his parents and teachers say. So Daniel spends the days before the visit in training, practicing facing forward and sitting up straight. Any school-age child will see where this picture book is going, and they may place bets on when he’ll finally flip upside down. It happens close to the end, as he leans down to pick up a coin from the floor. But two pages later, the prime minister’s assistant is pointing to a photo of David Ben-Gurion, the first prime minister of Israel, upside down on a beach. And by the next page, the assistant is standing on his head, to applause from everyone. Even a parent or teacher might approve of the lesson: Headstands are good training for a future in politics. Unfortunately, the artwork makes the characters (with a few exceptions, light-skinned Israelis) look less free-spirited. Their body language is often stiff or contorted. But the actual historic photo of Ben-Gurion, reproduced on the final page, is whimsical and inspiring. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-18.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 74.3% of actual size.)
Oddball politicians are still sometimes worth celebrating. (Picture book. 4-9)Pub Date: April 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5415-3470-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Kar-Ben
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
