This beach tale sends the mixed message that kids should feel good about themselves—if they’re amazing.
A bullied little ant surfs his way to confidence, proving that small creatures can accomplish great things in this picture book.
Cecil is a young ant who comes every day to play in Aardvark Park, but the other kids bully him for being small. One day, upset, he runs down to Anthill Beach, where he encounters his Uncle Juba, who sports dreadlocks and speaks in patois. He tells Cecil: “Feeling good about yourself is more important than what others t’ink.” Observing Surfer Ant riding the waves, Cecil is inspired, begging Uncle Juba to teach him how to surf. After some lessons and at least one wipeout, Cecil is ready. The next day on the beach, he walks right past the mean ants and runs boldly toward the rough water they’re afraid to try. He rides a huge wave, and everyone is impressed. They praise him, apologizing for the teasing, and Cecil forgives them, having realized that “being little doesn’t mean you can’t do whatever you want.” Jones (Fate Ball, 2016) aims to encourage kids to set targets, practice, and gain confidence. These are commendable goals, and mastering skills is a superb self-esteem booster, but why must Cecil prove himself a star to win the same friendliness all of the others get to enjoy just for being themselves? (In this, he’s much like Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer.) Debut illustrator Pastori’s images are clever—Cecil’s hair looks like ant larvae—well-composed and appropriately dynamic.
This beach tale sends the mixed message that kids should feel good about themselves—if they’re amazing.Pub Date: April 28, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-9972118-1-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: July 25, 2017
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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