A fairy tale that’s more morality than magic.
What to do when a boy won’t clean his room?
Joe’s father warns that the Toy Fairy will take toys if they are left on the floor, but the little white boy doesn’t believe it. Skillfully rendered, appealing illustrations depict Joe and his world, and the focus on a boy’s relationship with his father is a welcome touch. When toys disappear, Joe assumes his father is to blame, so he’s surprised to witness a tiny fairy (depicted as a winged, middle-aged white man in a flannel shirt) shrinking his toys, throwing them in a sock, and flying out the door. Selfish Joe then sets out one of his sister’s dolls—he doesn’t want to risk his own—and holds tight when the Toy Fairy appears. Shrunk and thrown into the sock, he’s eventually brought to the room of a new boy from school who has no toys at all. Magically restored to his natural size (and apparently never having caught the attention of the Toy Fairy), Joe returns home, leaving his toys (and his sister’s!) behind. Having learned his lesson, he cleans up ever after, except when he leaves a toy for the Toy Fairy to put to good use. Though the story is obviously well-intentioned—Joe learns to clean up, to appreciate what he’s got, and to share—and not without child appeal, its clear point is to instruct children and impart values rather than tell a good story. The result is heavy-handed and didactic.
A fairy tale that’s more morality than magic. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-76036-024-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Starfish Bay
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A disappointing follow-up.
Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).
While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.
A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
A valuable asset to the library of a child who experiences anxiety and a great book to get children talking about their...
Ruby is an adventurous and happy child until the day she discovers a Worry.
Ruby barely sees the Worry—depicted as a blob of yellow with a frowny unibrow—at first, but as it hovers, the more she notices it and the larger it grows. The longer Ruby is affected by this Worry, the fewer colors appear on the page. Though she tries not to pay attention to the Worry, which no one else can see, ignoring it prevents her from enjoying the things that she once loved. Her constant anxiety about the Worry causes the bright yellow blob to crowd Ruby’s everyday life, which by this point is nearly all washes of gray and white. But at the playground, Ruby sees a boy sitting on a bench with a growing sky-blue Worry of his own. When she invites the boy to talk, his Worry begins to shrink—and when Ruby talks about her own Worry, it also grows smaller. By the book’s conclusion, Ruby learns to control her Worry by talking about what worries her, a priceless lesson for any child—or adult—conveyed in a beautifully child-friendly manner. Ruby presents black, with hair in cornrows and two big afro-puff pigtails, while the boy has pale skin and spiky black hair.
A valuable asset to the library of a child who experiences anxiety and a great book to get children talking about their feelings (. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0237-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
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