Francisco's transformation from pensive newcomer to entrepreneurial kite master is inspiring and well-detailed in this...
A resourceful boy in a new town discovers a talent for giving old scraps flight in this immigrant's story.
Francisco misses his home in El Salvador and can't get out of his funk as he waits out a summer in his new home in Chicago. Remembering the joy of flying kites with his friends back home, he collects discarded materials around the neighborhood, eventually making his own kite, though not without hesitation. The first thrilling flight leads to more ambitious designs, and before long, Francisco wins both friends and a bit of fame. He’s even offered a chance to build kites for money, allowing him to take his mother out to a Salvadoran restaurant. The sturdy (if sometimes stiff) text doesn't skimp on chronicling Francisco's ongoing doubts as well as his triumphs. The line-and-watercolor illustrations capture his moods elegantly, from his bored sulking at the story's start to his determined builder's face to his absolute pleasure smelling a hot plate of pupusas or watching his dragon kite take to the sky. The kites themselves, with their patchwork patterns, are gloriously rendered with depth and variety. All text in the book displayed in English is followed by its Spanish equivalent on the same page, separated by narrow, unobtrusive illustrations.
Francisco's transformation from pensive newcomer to entrepreneurial kite master is inspiring and well-detailed in this successful slice of life. (Picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: May 31, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-55885-804-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Piñata Books/Arte Público
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Best for readers who have clearly indicated they would like to take their writing efforts to the next level.
A young white girl writes and illustrates a story, which is critiqued by the narrator as it is created.
The girl begins her story by drawing a Hero. Then she thinks maybe a Heroine would be better. Then she decides both will work. She places them in “a good town, filled with good people, called our Setting.” The narrator, an unseen editor who lurks over the artist’s shoulder, tells the storyteller she needs to put in some Conflict, make the Evil Overlord scarier, and give it better action. This tongue-in-cheek way of delivering the rules of creative writing is clever, and paired with Le Huche’s earnest, childlike illustrations, it seems to be aimed at giving helpful direction to aspiring young creators (although the illustrations are not critiqued). But the question needs to be asked: do very young writers really need to know the rules of writing as determined by adults? While the story appears to be about helping young readers learn writing—there is “A Friendly List of Words Used in this Book” at the end with such words as “protagonist” and “antagonist” (glossed as “Hero and Heroine” and “Evil Overlord,” respectively)—it also has a decidedly unhelpful whiff of judgment. Rules, the text seems to say, must be followed for the story to be a Good one. Ouch.
Best for readers who have clearly indicated they would like to take their writing efforts to the next level. (Picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-2935-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
Will leave readers as happy as a pig in mud.
It’s good to embrace change.
Although an unseen narrator attempts to tell an accustomed version of “The Three Little Pigs”—here named Alan, Alfred, and Alvin Albert—their younger sister, Alison, wants to get in on the action because she’s a natural storyteller. The narrator grudgingly allows Alison to tag along, but her added bits of flavor and the unexpected personalities of her brothers soon send the story off its traditional tracks and into hilarious hijinks. For example, Alan’s love of building allows him to design a functional house made of plastic drinking straws, Alfred’s stick house is actually constructed by Alan because Alfred’s clearly a star and not stage crew, and Alvin’s shacking up in a pumpkin behind Cinderella’s castle because he’s…not the crispiest piece of bacon on the plate. Alison’s quick thinking leads the brothers to be one step ahead of the wandering wolf. When the narrator hits their limit, a conversation with Alison proves that collaboration can lead to unexpected but wonderful results. The story flows well, accompanied by energetic cartoon art, and the choice to color-code the speech bubbles of each character (and the text of the narrator vs. Alison) ensures readers will be able to follow the snappy dialogue. Those who love to make up their own stories will be inspired, and readers who march to the beats of their own drums will be delighted. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Will leave readers as happy as a pig in mud. (Picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: Oct. 25, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5420-3243-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Two Lions
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
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