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CAVEKID BIRTHDAY

Book sweet

Breisacher and Garrigue explore the timeless fun of gift exchange.

Neighbors Caveboy and Cavegirl are best friends who do everything together. The pair shares interests in pet racing, stone tossing, painting on walls—a joy shared by all children since the very beginning of time—as well as their birthday. As it approaches, Cavegirl becomes frantic to make the perfect gift, but a mishap involving her pet bear sends her to Caveman’s Collectibles to pick out the perfect present. Since money has yet to be invented, Cavegirl trades her tools for a box. Caveboy also considers the perfect gift before trading his precious rocks for…a box. The two best friends make the best of their gifts, but eventually it’s back to Caveman’s Collectibles for another trade. In exchange for their things, they do some gnarly interior decorating for Caveman—money may not have been invented yet, but paint, ladders, and balloons are readily available! The scratchy line-and-color illustrations share an aesthetic with The Flintstones, with the uniformly pale-skinned characters sporting hide clothing and bone accessories. The message will resonate with generations of readers—the simplicity of a box combined with imagination crosses time and gender. However, the protagonists’ binary names are not inclusive of gender fluidity. The faux primitive grammar (“Me like….Trade good”) gives character to the dialogue but may also confuse emerging readers.

Book sweet . (Picture book. 5-8)

Pub Date: March 5, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-58089-876-8

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Charlesbridge

Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019

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RED AND LULU

A touching, beautifully illustrated story of greatest interest to those in the New York City area.

A pair of cardinals is separated and then reunited when their tree home is moved to New York City to serve as the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.

The male cardinal, Red, and his female partner, Lulu, enjoy their home in a huge evergreen tree located in the front yard of a small house in a pleasant neighborhood. When the tree is cut down and hauled away on a truck, Lulu is still inside the tree. Red follows the truck into the city but loses sight of it and gets lost. The birds are reunited when Red finds the tree transformed with colored lights and serving as the Christmas tree in a complex of city buildings. When the tree is removed after Christmas, the birds find a new home in a nearby park. Each following Christmas, the pair visit the new tree erected in the same location. Attractive illustrations effectively handle some difficult challenges of dimension and perspective and create a glowing, magical atmosphere for the snowy Christmas trees. The original owners of the tree are a multiracial family with two children; the father is African-American and the mother is white. The family is in the background in the early pages, reappearing again skating on the rink at Rockefeller Center with their tree in the background.

A touching, beautifully illustrated story of greatest interest to those in the New York City area. (author’s note) (Picture book. 5-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2017

ISBN: 978-0-7636-7733-6

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: Aug. 20, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2017

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MAI'S ÁO DÀI

Thoughtful and joyful.

A child of Vietnamese descent fantasizes about the perfect outfit for Tết.

One night, Mai dreams about being a big “STAAAAAAR” and fielding questions on the red carpet. Mai’s literal dream dress is a sparkly silver ballroom gown with a sweetheart cut. After waking up, the child is eager to tell Ba all about it, but first it’s time to get ready. It’s the first day of Tết, or Lunar New Year, and the family plans to celebrate at Mai’s grandmother’s house. Though Mai loves visiting Bà Nội, the child balks at donning the áo dài, a Vietnamese outfit consisting of a tunic worn over trousers. “Stars wear dresses and gowns,” Mai tells Ba. But Ba shows Mai the family photo album, explaining that Bà Nội had her own sewing school in Vietnam and that her students lovingly dubbed her the “Queen of Áo Dài.” To keep their traditions alive when the family emigrated, Bà Nội continued to make áo dài for her loved ones, and the children learned to sew them as an expression of love. Finally, with a newfound appreciation for the garment, Mai greets Bà Nội with a hug, clad in a customized áo dài made by Ba. Told entirely through naturally expressed and well-paced dialogue and accompanied by vividly textured illustrations, this is a loving tale of a family finding a creative way to reshape a beloved tradition.

Thoughtful and joyful. (glossary, “let’s design our own áo dài” activity) (Picture book. 5-8)

Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025

ISBN: 9781665917346

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Caitlyn Dlouhy/Atheneum

Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025

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