A gripping, thought-provoking migration saga.
The Vargas Ramírez family braves the journey north to the other side in this tale translated from Spanish.
Told from the perspective of an unnamed child, the voyage commences with a bird’s song—“Tihui, tihui, tihui: let’s go, let’s go, let’s go.” Departing from Iztapalapa, Mexico, Land of Clay Upon Water, a group of seven family members and friends—soon joined by another pair in Coyoacán—take “bus after bus after bus.” On their path to the land where a feathered man is said to fly over metallic trees, the Migrant Warriors evade the Tiras—slang for law enforcement—and squeeze into a van that moves like “an enraged jaguar.” They eventually end up wading through darkness “as dense as an obsidian forest.” Others, including a stray dog, join them on their seemingly never-ending march, led by a sly coyote. The Migrant Warriors cross the Río Bravo; then it’s time to walk once more, thirsty, exhausted, and indebted to the Virgen de Guadalupe’s protection. Mansour’s vivid portrait of a migrant family’s travails blends motifs and imagery from Mesoamerican mythology, with dazzling, affecting results. Influenced by the Boturini and Mixtec Codices, Valtierra’s artwork boasts bold lines, strong color use, and salient iconography, beautifully complementing the text’s mythical tone. Grounded in compassion, this is a richly layered tale that will linger with readers.
A gripping, thought-provoking migration saga. (author’s note, glossary) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 11, 2025
ISBN: 9781646145157
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Levine Querido
Review Posted Online: Nov. 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2024
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle...
Making things is difficult work. Readers will recognize the stages of this young heroine’s experience as she struggles to realize her vision.
First comes anticipation. The artist/engineer is spotted jauntily pulling a wagonload of junkyard treasures. Accompanied by her trusty canine companion, she begins drawing plans and building an assemblage. The narration has a breezy tone: “[S]he makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!” The colorful caricatures and creations contrast with the digital black outlines on a white background that depict an urban neighborhood. Intermittent blue-gray panels break up the white expanses on selected pages showing sequential actions. When the first piece doesn’t turn out as desired, the protagonist tries again, hoping to achieve magnificence. A model of persistence, she tries many adjustments; the vocabulary alone offers constructive behaviors: she “tinkers,” “wrenches,” “fiddles,” “examines,” “stares” and “tweaks.” Such hard work, however, combines with disappointing results, eventually leading to frustration, anger and injury. Explosive emotions are followed by defeat, portrayed with a small font and scaled-down figures. When the dog, whose expressions have humorously mirrored his owner’s through each phase, retrieves his leash, the resulting stroll serves them well. A fresh perspective brings renewed enthusiasm and—spoiler alert—a most magnificent scooter sidecar for a loyal assistant.
Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle characterization for maximum delight. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-55453-704-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2014
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BOOK REVIEW
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