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BEASTS OF INDIA

Name: BEASTS OF INDIA
Author: Kanchana Arni
ISBN: 978-93-83145-58-4

edited by Kanchana Arni & Gita Wolf ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 15, 2018

Lovely, but for art enthusiasts and book collectors more than for child readers.

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An Indian import, this art book functions as an introduction to a variety of traditional art forms from the Indian subcontinent.

Pictures of animals are printed on brightly colored handmade paper on the recto, and the names of the animal and the art form are printed on the bottom of the verso. All the animals pictured are native to India: tigers, lions, bulls, snakes, crocodiles, monkeys, dogs, and elephants. By grouping the animals together—for instance, all the tigers appear together, followed by the lions, and so on—the book actively encourages comparisons among different forms of Indian folk art. An index at the end of the book provides readers with more information regarding the art style, the artist, and where the art originates. The tiger printed in the Pithora tribal art style, for example, is adapted from the original by the artist Paresh Ratva. The style is described as a “Ritual decorative art form, painted on the walls of houses, using natural earth colors”; it is native to the Indian states of Rajasthan and Gujarat. The variations in line, palette, and level of realism are broad, giving readers a good sense of the vigor and diversity of Indian folk art. Although beautifully crafted, however, it is more an artifact than a traditional picture book. Each book is one of a limited printing of 3,000 and includes a framable print.

Lovely, but for art enthusiasts and book collectors more than for child readers. (Picture book. 8-adult)

Pub Date: June 15, 2018

ISBN: 978-93-83145-58-4

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Tara Publishing

Review Posted Online: March 17, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2018

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

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JAKE THE FAKE KEEPS IT REAL

From the Jake the Fake series , Vol. 1

by Craig Robinson & Adam Mansbach ; illustrated by Keith Knight ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 28, 2017

A fast and funny alternative to the Wimpy Kid.

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Black sixth-grader Jake Liston can only play one song on the piano. He can’t read music very well, and he can’t improvise. So how did Jake get accepted to the Music and Art Academy? He faked it.

Alongside an eclectic group of academy classmates, and with advice from his best friend, Jake tries to fit in at a school where things like garbage sculpting and writing art reviews of bird poop splatter are the norm. All is well until Jake discovers that the end-of-the-semester talent show is only two weeks away, and Jake is short one very important thing…talent. Or is he? It’s up to Jake to either find the talent that lies within or embarrass himself in front of the entire school. Light and humorous, with Knight’s illustrations adding to the fun, Jake’s story will likely appeal to many middle-grade readers, especially those who might otherwise be reluctant to pick up a book. While the artsy antics may be over-the-top at times, this is a story about something that most preteens can relate to: the struggle to find your authentic self. And in a world filled with books about wanting to fit in with the athletically gifted supercliques, this novel unabashedly celebrates the artsy crowd in all of its quirky, creative glory.

A fast and funny alternative to the Wimpy Kid. (Fiction. 8-12)

Pub Date: March 28, 2017

ISBN: 978-0-553-52351-5

Page Count: 144

Publisher: Crown

Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

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PERCY JACKSON'S GREEK GODS

by Rick Riordan ; illustrated by John Rocco ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 19, 2014

The inevitable go-to for Percy’s legions of fans who want the stories behind his stories.

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Percy Jackson takes a break from adventuring to serve up the Greek gods like flapjacks at a church breakfast.

Percy is on form as he debriefs readers concerning Chaos, Gaea, Ouranos and Pontus, Dionysus, Ariadne and Persephone, all in his dude’s patter: “He’d forgotten how beautiful Gaea could be when she wasn’t all yelling up in his face.” Here they are, all 12 Olympians, plus many various offspring and associates: the gold standard of dysfunctional families, whom Percy plays like a lute, sometimes lyrically, sometimes with a more sardonic air. Percy’s gift, which is no great secret, is to breathe new life into the gods. Closest attention is paid to the Olympians, but Riordan has a sure touch when it comes to fitting much into a small space—as does Rocco’s artwork, which smokes and writhes on the page as if hit by lightning—so readers will also meet Makaria, “goddess of blessed peaceful deaths,” and the Theban Teiresias, who accidentally sees Athena bathing. She blinds him but also gives him the ability to understand the language of birds. The atmosphere crackles and then dissolves, again and again: “He could even send the Furies after living people if they committed a truly horrific crime—like killing a family member, desecrating a temple, or singing Journey songs on karaoke night.”

The inevitable go-to for Percy’s legions of fans who want the stories behind his stories. (Mythology. 10-14)