by Alexandra Boiger ; illustrated by Alexandra Boiger ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 27, 2018
Simple and emotionally resonant.
A much-anticipated, carefully planned outing turns into what seems to be a disaster for two close friends.
Max is depicted as a brown-haired, sweet-faced white child, big enough to ride a two-wheel bike, while Marla looks like a small gray-and-white barn owl. Boiger’s partly Photoshopped ink-and-watercolor art depicts interior moments and landscapes in gentle hues of green, blue, and gray. The pair plans a first-of-spring outing with a picnic: potato salad, cheese and baguette, “and Grandma’s special cake: a gugelhupf”—mixed and baked by Max with some extra breaking of eggs. Max pedals the bike, and Marla, sporting a wide-brimmed hat, perches in the basket—everything’s off to a good start. When Max goes to gather flowers and Marla falls asleep, however, a scurry of squirrels help themselves to the picnic. Though Max is upset, perhaps even angry, readers are given room to interpret and understand how each character feels: “Marla and Max don’t feel like staying any longer. They don’t even want to look at each other.” Even very young children will recognize the way that expectations can rush out in front of an experience and contribute to disappointment. A nighttime picnic on the bedroom floor is cozy and friendly—and a saving moment for the friendship.
Simple and emotionally resonant. (Picture book. 2-6)Pub Date: March 27, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-399-17505-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Dec. 10, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2018
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by Christopher Silas Neal ; illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 27, 2018
Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable.
You think you know shapes? Animals? Blend them together, and you might see them both a little differently!
What a mischievous twist on a concept book! With wordplay and a few groan-inducing puns, Neal creates connections among animals and shapes that are both unexpected and so seemingly obvious that readers might wonder why they didn’t see them all along. Of course, a “lazy turtle” meeting an oval would create the side-splitting combo of a “SLOW-VAL.” A dramatic page turn transforms a deeply saturated, clean-lined green oval by superimposing a head and turtle shell atop, with watery blue ripples completing the illusion. Minimal backgrounds and sketchy, impressionistic detailing keep the focus right on the zany animals. Beginning with simple shapes, the geometric forms become more complicated as the book advances, taking readers from a “soaring bird” that meets a triangle to become a “FLY-ANGLE” to a “sleepy lion” nonagon “YAWN-AGON.” Its companion text, Animal Colors, delves into color theory, this time creating entirely hybrid animals, such as the “GREEN WHION” with maned head and whale’s tail made from a “blue whale and a yellow lion.” It’s a compelling way to visualize color mixing, and like Animal Shapes, it’s got verve. Who doesn’t want to shout out that a yellow kangaroo/green moose blend is a “CHARTREUSE KANGAMOOSE”?
Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: March 27, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0534-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
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by James Yang ; illustrated by James Yang ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 23, 2019
The visual details invite interaction, making it a good choice for storytime or solo inspection.
It’s a quiet day, until….
“I have a bot!” An excited child’s happiness is short-lived, for the remote-controlled toy escapes its wireless tether and begins an ascent up the side of a skyscraper. The building’s doorman launches a race to recover the bot, and soon everyone wants to help. Attempts to retrieve the bot, which is rendered as a red rectangle with a propeller, arms, and a rudimentary face, go from the mundanity of a broom to the absurd—a bright orange beehive hairdo and a person-sized Venus’ flytrap are just some of the silly implements the building’s occupants use to try to rein in the bot. Each double-page spread reveals another level of the building—and further visual hijinks—as the bot makes its way to the top, where an unexpected hero waits (keep an eye out for falling bananas). The tall, narrow trim size echoes the shape of the skyscraper, providing a sense of height as the bot rises. Text is minimal; short declarations in tidy black dialogue bubbles with white courier-style typeface leave the primary-colored, blocky art to effectively carry the story. Facial expressions—both human and bot—are comically spot-on. The bot-owning child has light skin, and there are several people of color among those trying to rescue the bot. One person wears a kufi.
The visual details invite interaction, making it a good choice for storytime or solo inspection. (Picture book. 2-6)Pub Date: July 23, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-425-28881-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
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