An exuberant child bounds through her day in a style many adults will recognize. With a carefree joie de vivre that cannot possibly be expressed through such sedate movement as walking, young Emily gleefully springs and leaps from one adventure to another. She bounces along enveloped in a whimsical world of blended reality and imagination; she kicks up her heels with a dinosaur, her cat, an elephant, and even her Nana. At one point, the inventive miss contrives to think herself into a blue-spotted dog. King (Where Does Thursday Go, not reviewed, etc.) clearly revels in the joy of language; his rollicking wordplay deftly captures the essence of Emily’s joyfulness. “Sometimes she sleeps, sometimes she eats, but . . . most of the time she bounces . . . Twisting, toppling, singing, skipping, flipping bounces.” The visual impact of this buoyant tale greatly contributes to its appeal. Gaily colored ink-and-watercolor illustrations are bursting with vibrant colors. Emily, attired in a crimson frock adorned with saffron-hued polka dots, complete with lime-and-turquoise–striped leggings, is a veritable whirlwind of color and energy. King infuses his pictures with a drollery that will resonate with young readers as they practically leap off the page. A dazzling blend of waggish humor and quixotic illustrations, this positively sparkles with the sheer buoyancy of Emily’s high spirits. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: March 1, 2003
ISBN: 0-399-23886-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2003
A nice but not requisite purchase.
A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.
Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.
A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A young boy wonders aloud to a rabbit friend what he will be when he grows up and imagines some outrageous choices. “Puddle stomper,” “bubble gum popper,” “mixing-bowl licker,” “baby-sis soother” are just some of the 24 inspiringly creative vocations Spinelli’s young dreamer envisions in this pithy rhymed account. Aided by Liao’s cleverly integrated full-bleed mixed-media illustrations, which radiate every hue of the rainbow, and dynamic typesetting with words that swoop and dive, the author’s perspective on this adult-inspired question yields some refreshingly child-oriented answers. Given such an irresistible array of options—“So many jobs! / They’re all such fun”—the boy in the end decides, in an exuberant double gatefold, “I’m going to choose… / EVERY ONE!”—a conclusion befitting a generation expected to have more than six careers each. Without parents or peers around to corral this carefree child’s dreams, the possibilities of being whatever one wants appear both limitless and attainable. An inspired take on a timeless question. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: March 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-316-16226-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2010
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