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LULU'S MAGIC WAND

Ultimately, the book succeeds in exhausting readers, but whether from adventure or from terror rests with the beholder....

When a consolation prize at an amusement park lands in the hands of little Lulu, her imagination—along with everything in sight—goes wild.

This book is a visual thrill ride, all vivid colors, lively movement and comic imagery. At an amusement-park booth called the Wizardly World of Wonder, toddler Lulu ends up with a magic wand when her dad fails to win her desired prize, Priscilla, the Fairy Piglet. By the time the wizard realizes his real wand is missing, Lulu has created a balloon tornado, launched the merry-go-round creatures into the air and woken the Screamin’ Dragon roller coaster. When the Octo-Beast begins to shoot laser beams out of its eyes, Lulu’s toddler antics seem more sinister than silly. Richards, author of  Jungle Gym Jitters (2004), expertly juggles the over-the-top madness, repeating images and swirls in the rounded balloon figures, the octopus legs, the roller-coaster track and popped-open eyes. The concern lies with the text. It seems to be simply an interpretation of the images, with little to connect the described mayhem with Lulu’s magic wishes. Does her active imagination simply in vision or actually result in her loved ones being eaten by dinosaurs and giant monkeys? Stronger narrative could have launched the visuals even farther.

Ultimately, the book succeeds in exhausting readers, but whether from adventure or from terror rests with the beholder. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: April 24, 2012

ISBN: 978-0-8027-2248-5

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Walker

Review Posted Online: Feb. 28, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2012

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THE TEMPEST

A must-own adaptation chock-full of such stuff as kids’ dreams are—and will be—made on.

Mirth, magic, and mischief abound in this picture-book retelling of one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays.

Ariel, the beloved sprite whose conjurings precipitate the eponymous tempest, gets top billing in this adaptation and recounts the narrative in the first person. Through Ariel’s eyes, readers are introduced to the powerful Prospero, his lovely daughter, Miranda, and the shipwrecked nobles who are brought to the island to right an ancient wrong. Ellinas’ picture book largely divests the tale of its colonialist underpinnings and breathes three-dimensional complexity into the major and minor characters. Caliban, for instance, is monstrous due to his callous treatment of Ariel rather than because he is racially coded as savage. Another delightful change is the depiction of Miranda, who emerges as an athletic, spirited, and beautiful nature-child whose charms are understandably irresistible to Prince Ferdinand. The text is perfectly matched by Ray’s jaw-droppingly beautiful illustrations, which will enchant readers from the front cover to the final curtain. The greens of the waters and the blues of the island’s night sky are so lush and inviting that readers will wish they could enter the book. Peppered throughout the story are italicized fragments of Shakespeare’s dialogue, giving both young and older readers something to enjoy. Large, granite-colored Caliban is plainly nonhuman; the human characters present white; Ariel is a translucent, paper white.

A must-own adaptation chock-full of such stuff as kids’ dreams are—and will be—made on. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: April 7, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-5362-1144-3

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019

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WHY A DAUGHTER NEEDS A MOM

New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.

All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.

Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.

New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)

Pub Date: May 1, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019

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