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TEN BIRDS

Name: TEN BIRDS
Author: Cybèle Young
ISBN: 978-1-55453-568-2

by Cybèle Young & illustrated by Cybèle Young ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2011

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Ten small birds have a serious problem. They need to get across a river and have only a deserted lot full of discarded odds and ends—and their own ingenuity—to help them. After “the one they called ‘Brilliant’ ” creates some stilts and makes his way to the other side, the other birds follow, with each new effort—a water bicycle, Leonardo-esque wings, a spool-driven parachute, a boat crafted from an old fan—as imaginatively detailed and surprising as the last. The straightforward text provides structure and clarity, while the striking and intricate pen-and-ink illustrations perfectly capture the stillness of a night full of wintry snow, show the birds’ innovative and slightly mystical solutions to the problem at hand and seamlessly depict the decreasing numbers that represent the birds who have yet to cross. Most of the birds have apt names: Shows Great Promise, Extraordinary, Outstanding—even Highly Satisfactory comes up with an original idea. In the end, only Needs Improvement is left. But this last bird may not need improvement after all; he sees something of a practical nature the others have missed. Incorporating elements of a fable with a style vaguely reminiscent of David Macaulay or Arthur Geisert, this quietly dazzling selection is a subtle celebration of individuality and creativity. Appealing, unique and not to be missed. (Picture book. 5-10)

Pub Date: March 1, 2011

ISBN: 978-1-55453-568-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Kids Can

Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2011

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS

- BOOK REVIEW
SOME THINGS I'VE LOST
by Cybèle Young ; illustrated by Cybèle Young

- BOOK REVIEW
THE QUEEN'S SHADOW
by Cybèle Young ; illustrated by Cybèle Young

- BOOK REVIEW
NANCY KNOWS
by Cybèle Young ; illustrated by Cybèle Young

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LITTLE DAYMOND LEARNS TO EARN

by Daymond John ; illustrated by Nicole Miles ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 21, 2023

It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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GROWING HOME

by Beth Ferry ; illustrated by Eric Fan & Terry Fan ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 27, 2025

Charming.

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An assortment of unusual characters form friendships and help each other become their best selves.

Mr. and Mrs. Tupper, who live at Number 3 Ramshorn Drive, are antiquarians. Their daughter, Jillian, loves and cares for a plant named Ivy, who has “three speckles on each leaf and three letters in her name.” Toasty, the grumpy goldfish, lives in an octagonal tank and wishes he were Jillian’s favorite; when Arthur the spider arrives inside an antique desk, he brings wisdom and insight. Ollie the violet plant, Louise the bee, and Sunny the canary each arrive with their own quirks and problems to solve. Each character has a distinct personality and perspective; sometimes they clash, but more often they learn to empathize, see each other’s points of view, and work to help one another. They also help the Tupper family with bills and a burglar. The Fan brothers’ soft-edged, old-fashioned, black-and-white illustrations depict Toasty and Arthur with tiny hats; Ivy and Ollie have facial expressions on their plant pots. The Tuppers have paper-white skin and dark hair. The story comes together like a recipe: Simple ingredients combine, transform, and rise into something wonderful. In its matter-of-fact wisdom, rich vocabulary (often defined within the text), hint of magic, and empathetic nonhuman characters who solve problems in creative ways, this delightful work is reminiscent of Ferris by Kate DiCamillo, Our Friend Hedgehog by Lauren Castillo, and Ivy Lost and Found by Cynthia Lord and Stephanie Graegin.

Charming. (Fiction. 6-9)