Return to sender.
A mysterious box seeks a giver.
After parachuting from the sky, an unaddressed cardboard box wonders, “Who’s going to open me?” Sporting spindly arms and legs, the cheerful box slips into homes and crashes a science camp, surprising—then ditching—assorted children, most of whom seem to be expecting deliveries. Its corny parting puns, such as “Piece out!” to a child anticipating a new puzzle or “That’s not my beat” to a drummer eager to replace broken drumsticks, will likely fly over young readers’ heads. After escaping bickering twins, a dog, and a clamor of kids claiming their tutu, tennis racket, etc., the box leaps into the arms of its dream recipient: a child who’s sure it contains “something wonderful” and who’d “love to give [it] to”…someone, despite its unknown contents. “Who would YOU give this box to?” asks the last line. Despite good intentions, mixed messages and a cleverly boxlike but awkwardly reverse-opening cover make this lesson in generosity difficult to unpack. Their dangerously naïve acceptance of a suddenly appearing, unmarked box aside, it’s fair for kids expecting packages to assume that the box is theirs, and the box’s teasing exits risk contradicting the kindness it hopes to impart. Sadly, Schoenbrun’s spot cartoon illustrations don’t disguise the purposive plot or flat speech-balloon dialogue. Most kids present as kids of color. Three present white; one uses a wheelchair.
Return to sender. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-9848-1546-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
From curds to riches, from meltdown to uplift—this multicourse romp delivers.
A winning wheel of cheddar with braggadocio to match narrates a tale of comeuppance and redemption.
From humble beginnings among kitchen curds living “quiet lives of pasteurization,” the Big Cheese longs to be the best and builds success and renown based on proven skills and dependable results: “I stuck to the things I was good at.” When newcomer Wedge moves to the village of Curds-on-Whey, the Cheese’s star status wobbles and falls. Turns out that quiet, modest Wedge is also multitalented. At the annual Cheese-cathlon, Wedge bests six-time winner Cheese in every event, from the footrace and chess to hat making and bread buttering. A disappointed Cheese throws a full-blown tantrum before arriving at a moment of truth: Self-calming, conscious breathing permits deep relief that losing—even badly—does not result in disaster. A debrief with Wedge “that wasn’t all about me” leads to further realizations: Losing builds empathy for others; obsession with winning obscures “the joy of participating.” The chastened cheddar learns to reserve bragging for lifting up friends, because anyone can be the Big Cheese. More didactic and less pun-rich than previous entries in the Food Group series, this outing nevertheless couples a cheerful refrain with pithy life lessons that hit home. Oswald’s detailed, comical illustrations continue to provide laughs, including a spot with Cheese onstage doing a “CHED” talk.
From curds to riches, from meltdown to uplift—this multicourse romp delivers. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9780063329508
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
Charming and thought-provoking proof that we all contain multitudes.
Oscar winner McConaughey offers intriguing life observations.
The series of pithy, wry comments, each starting with the phrase “Just because,” makes clear that each of us is a mass of contradictions: “Just because we’re friends, / doesn’t mean you can’t burn me. / Just because I’m stubborn, / doesn’t mean that you can’t turn me.” Witty, digitally rendered vignettes portray youngsters diverse in terms of race and ability (occasionally with pets looking on) dealing with everything from friendship drama to a nerve-wracking footrace. “Just because I’m dirty, / doesn’t mean I can’t get clean” is paired with an image of a youngster taking a bath while another character (possibly an older sibling) sits nearby, smiling. “Just because you’re nice, / doesn’t mean you can’t get mean” depicts the older one berating the younger one for tracking mud into the house. The artwork effectively brings to life the succinct, rhyming text and will help readers make sense of it. Perhaps, after studying the illustrations and gaining further insight into the comments, kids will reread and reflect upon them further. The final page unites the characters from earlier pages with a reassuring message for readers: “Just because the sun has set, / doesn’t mean it will not rise. / Because every day is a gift, / each one a new surprise. BELIEVE IT.” As a follow-up, readers should be encouraged to make their own suggestions to complete the titular phrase. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Charming and thought-provoking proof that we all contain multitudes. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2023
ISBN: 9780593622032
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
© Copyright 2023 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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