Winning illustrations level up an uneven story.
An Indian American boy’s excitement for his first day of school is tempered when his classmates can’t pronounce his name.
Their “wrinkled foreheads” and the giggles that follow make the young boy shrink into himself. He worries that his name conjures “far-off smells,” “the hot sun,” and “sweaty crowds,” and he feels lost in their "frosty stares." With downcast eyes, he turns to his parents for an embrace. His parents turn each of his hurt feelings into a vision of joy and healing. They gently remind him how his arrival meant “wrinkled faces / Creased into smiles.” They teach him that his name signifies his culture and his roots and encourage him to celebrate his differences. The vibrant illustrations mirror the unnamed boy’s moods with cool greens and blues moving into reds and oranges as he grasps his unique identity. Though the boy’s heritage is richly conveyed through warm brown skin tones and traditional Indian clothing and food, the story lacks the depth of other recent books celebrating names and cultural identities. The text leans heavily on the parents’ perspective, with little engagement to encourage the child’s own realization of his uniqueness. In the author’s and illustrator’s notes, Kelkar and Prabhat share that they’ve had similar experiences and discuss learning to embrace the beauty and power of their names. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Winning illustrations level up an uneven story. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9780374314637
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2023
Menacing and most likely to appeal to established fans of its co-creators.
Existing artwork from an artistic giant inspires a fairy-tale reimagination by a master of the horror genre.
In King’s interpretation of a classic Brothers Grimm story, which accompanies set and costume designs that the late Sendak created for a 1997 production of Engelbert Humperdinck’s opera, siblings Hansel and Gretel survive abandonment in the woods and an evil witch’s plot to gobble them up before finding their “happily ever after” alongside their father. Prose with the reassuring cadence of an old-timey tale, paired with Sendak’s instantly recognizable artwork, will lull readers before capitalizing on these creators’ knack for injecting darkness into seemingly safe spaces. Gaping faces loom in crevices of rocks and trees, and a gloomy palette of muted greens and ocher amplify the story’s foreboding tone, while King never sugarcoats the peach-skinned children’s peril. Branches with “clutching fingers” hide “the awful enchanted house” of a “child-stealing witch,” all portrayed in an eclectic mix of spot and full-bleed images. Featuring insults that might strike some as harsh (“idiot,” “fool”), the lengthy, dense text may try young readers’ patience, and the often overwhelmingly ominous mood feels more pitched to adults—particularly those familiar with King and Sendak—but an introduction acknowledges grandparents as a likely audience, and nostalgia may prompt leniency over an occasional disconnect between words and art.
Menacing and most likely to appeal to established fans of its co-creators. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9780062644695
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2025
An endearing ode to big siblinghood.
A buffalo is disconcerted when his daily routine is disrupted by a newborn.
Kalb begins with the playful rhymes and rhythms she employed in Buffalo Fluffalo (2024). Fluffalo, having learned a lesson in cooperation in his earlier outing, happily cavorts with Ram, Crow, and Prairie Dog before enjoying some thoughtful alone time and then settling down to sleep at dusk. A loud wailing sound wakes him at dawn and continues into daybreak. “‘What could that be?’ huffed tired old Fluffalo. / ‘I’ve said it before—I’ve had enuffalo!’” When he discovers that the sound is coming from a tiny buffalo, he becomes both irate and alarmed. Fortunately, his friends show up and assure him that the little one just needs some time to learn and grow. Fluffalo calms down and admits that the baby is a bit cute—something readers will have already realized, thanks to Kraan’s sweetly imaginative art. In the ensuing pages, Fluffalo mentors the loving Puffalo, including the baby in his daily activities and fielding (some of) Puff’s many questions. Readers with younger siblings will appreciate the subtle acknowledgment that Fluffalo’s new role can be taxing, but overall, the tale affirms the joy of mentoring, while the colorful, stylized art perfectly complements the upbeat verse. It’s easy to imagine an older child reading this story to a younger one at bedtime.
An endearing ode to big siblinghood. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9780593810309
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House Studio
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
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