A deeply personal tale that underscores the power of kindness.
Letting go can be the hardest—and kindest—thing to do.
A beige-skinned, dark-haired, East Asian–presenting boy interrupts some bullies bothering a helpless baby sparrow and, in exchange for a few treasures, convinces them to give him the animal. Against his parents’ admonitions, the boy uses a straw to feed the bird and names him Kozo. Day by day, Kozo gets stronger and forms a special bond with the boy, chirping and flapping his wings with excitement when the child returns home from school. Even when Kozo gets loose outside, he comes right back to the boy. The boy’s teacher encourages him to bring Kozo to school to show the other children. Worried about Kozo’s safety, the boy nevertheless agrees when the teacher promises to keep a close eye on the class. However, the other children chase Kozo and frighten him, and then after school, the bullies return. To keep his friend safe, the boy makes a difficult decision to do the kindest thing, even if it hurts. Realistic illustrations rendered in watercolor, dip pen and brush, and pencil rely on ample white space to spotlight the boy’s connection with Kozo. This poignant yet straightforward narrative navigates complex themes of friendship, loneliness, kindness, and bravery. An author’s note explains that the story is based on an experience in Say’s childhood growing up in postwar Japan. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A deeply personal tale that underscores the power of kindness. (Picture book. 5-9)Pub Date: Oct. 10, 2023
ISBN: 9780063248465
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2023
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.
Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A charming friendship story and great setup for future books.
Curious about the Big Wide World outside his Sasquatch community, Hugo makes a friend who is of it.
Sasquatch Hugo’s bedroom is inside a cave and possesses the charming feature of a small stream running through it that he can sail his little toy boat on. It’s cool, but he yearns to see the Big Wide World. When he asks his smart friend Gigi if a Sasquatch might become a sailor, she says it’s possible but would be difficult—the primary rule of their people is to not be seen by Humans. Then, in everyone’s favorite Hide and Go Sneak class, which is held outside, a Human appears; Hugo laughs at the sight, drawing Human attention in a taboo-breaking mistake. Shortly after, Hugo’s toy boat floats into the cave with a Human toy—soon, it’s facilitating a pen-pal–type relationship that’s derailed when Hugo confesses to being a Sasquatch and Human Boone, a budding cryptozoologist, doesn’t believe him. How Hugo and Boone resolve this misapprehension and become friends in a joint search for the Ogopogo concludes this series opener. Potter keeps the third-person narrative tightly focused on Hugo’s perspective, and the details she uses to flesh out the Sasquatch world are delightfully playful. Sala’s drawings depict a homey Sasquatch cavern community, Boone as a freckled, white boy, and Hugo as a hairily benevolent behemoth.
A charming friendship story and great setup for future books. (final art unseen) (Fantasy. 5-9)Pub Date: April 10, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4197-2859-4
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Dec. 10, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2018
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