While this will introduce readers to aspects of Norse mythology, there’s not enough detail to satisfy; the questions this...
Wagner’s operas inspired this Valkyrie-themed look at the first day of school.
Choosing to define Valkyrie as “an ancient Norse goddess who guides and protects heroes” (rather than the more common life-or-death decision-maker for warriors), Auerbach’s choice of protagonist is an unusual one that may simply go over the heads of young readers, though they will certainly empathize with her. Off to school to meet kids her own age, Edda is not sure Earth compares favorably to her life back in Asgard. At home, Edda can do as she pleases, whereas at school, she will get a timeout if she doesn’t follow the rules. No one wants to share or trade lunches with Edda, who has brought a flagon of…something and a huge hunk of meat still on the bone, and she misses the amazing wildlife of Asgard—Rex the classroom guinea pig is no substitute. But things begin to look up when Edda uses a difficult writing assignment to describe Asgard for her classmates, who suddenly want to know more about Edda and where she lives. Auerbach’s pen-and-ink illustrations were colored digitally, giving them a flat, matte aspect. The two worlds are just as incongruous as adult readers might imagine.
While this will introduce readers to aspects of Norse mythology, there’s not enough detail to satisfy; the questions this will raise far outweigh any comfort those new to school may gain from it. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: June 24, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-8050-9703-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano/Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
While the blend of folklore, fantasy and realism is certainly far-fetched, Imani, with her winning personality, is a child...
Imani endures the insults heaped upon her by the other village children, but she never gives up her dreams.
The Masai girl is tiny compared to the other children, but she is full of imagination and perseverance. Luckily, she has a mother who believes in her and tells her stories that will fuel that imagination. Mama tells her about the moon goddess, Olapa, who wins over the sun god. She tells Imani about Anansi, the trickster spider who vanquishes a larger snake. (Troublingly, the fact that Anansi is a West African figure, not of the Masai, goes unaddressed in both text and author’s note.) Inspired, the tiny girl tries to find new ways to achieve her dream: to touch the moon. One day, after crashing to the ground yet again when her leafy wings fail, she is ready to forget her hopes. That night, she witnesses the adumu, the special warriors’ jumping dance. Imani wakes the next morning, determined to jump to the moon. After jumping all day, she reaches the moon, meets Olapa and receives a special present from the goddess, a small moon rock. Now she becomes the storyteller when she relates her adventure to Mama. The watercolor-and-graphite illustrations have been enhanced digitally, and the night scenes of storytelling and fantasy with their glowing stars and moons have a more powerful impact than the daytime scenes, with their blander colors.
While the blend of folklore, fantasy and realism is certainly far-fetched, Imani, with her winning personality, is a child to be admired. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-934133-57-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Mackinac Island Press
Review Posted Online: July 28, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2014
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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