A palatable mix of education and entertainment for kids.
In this debut children’s book by a certified health coach, four young residents of an alien planet discover that they’re destined to develop nutrition-based superpowers.
In what’s clearly intended to be the first of a series of adventures, Marquez introduces young readers to a “small and enchanted” plant-based world and its inhabitants. The Rootlet kids—Brocc, Carrotina, Kaley, and Cornelius—were “just tiny little sprouts” on Planet Planted when they were plucked from the ground by wise Yammy Grammy and her eccentric friend Mr. Fungo Fungi, the owner of the popular Plantasyland amusement park. The adventuresome Rootlets and their dog, Basil, prepare to celebrate Earthrise, a “once-in-a-lifetime chance to see Planet Earth” through Brocc’s “Onion SkySearcher XT8 telescope.” Just before the big event, the Rootlets are surprised to learn that Earth’s appearance is the harbinger of their individual “super magical powers,” or “Rootabilities.” As the unsubtle (but not preachy) tale unfolds, the Rootlets try to imagine what powers they might have (“They started by reading up on all sorts of powers….But the spells wouldn’t cast, the broomsticks wouldn’t fly”). Carrotina is the first to discover hers: keen eyesight. Soon the other Rootlets learn what they can do: Kaley’s skin glows, Cornelius’ muscles are strong, and Brocc’s brain is powerful. Yammy cautions that their Rootabilities are just “newly sprouting” and that it will take time to learn how to use them—but they should always use them for good. Here, the author lightly models such concepts as friendship and teamwork. Overall, Marquez’s intent is obvious: to encourage kids to view healthy eating in a positive light. The book’s target audience will key into its health-conscious tone, and readers should find it easy to relate to the veggie-centric framework. Along the way, Russnak’s colorful, animation-style illustrations entertainingly realize the alien world. The ending promises further adventures to come.
A palatable mix of education and entertainment for kids.Pub Date: Oct. 28, 2014
ISBN: 978-0990721604
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Rootlets
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The seemingly ageless Seeger brings back his renowned giant for another go in a tuneful tale that, like the art, is a bit sketchy, but chockful of worthy messages. Faced with yearly floods and droughts since they’ve cut down all their trees, the townsfolk decide to build a dam—but the project is stymied by a boulder that is too huge to move. Call on Abiyoyo, suggests the granddaughter of the man with the magic wand, then just “Zoop Zoop” him away again. But the rock that Abiyoyo obligingly flings aside smashes the wand. How to avoid Abiyoyo’s destruction now? Sing the monster to sleep, then make it a peaceful, tree-planting member of the community, of course. Seeger sums it up in a postscript: “every community must learn to manage its giants.” Hays, who illustrated the original (1986), creates colorful, if unfinished-looking, scenes featuring a notably multicultural human cast and a towering Cubist fantasy of a giant. The song, based on a Xhosa lullaby, still has that hard-to-resist sing-along potential, and the themes of waging peace, collective action, and the benefits of sound ecological practices are presented in ways that children will both appreciate and enjoy. (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-83271-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2001
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