Many families will enjoy the interplay here between mother (efficient and loving) and daughter (sky’s the limit). (Picture...
A feisty, 7-ish girl informs readers what to expect when a snow day, babysitter snafu or “Take Your Child to Work Day” necessitates accompanying a parent to the office.
From the “hop hop hop” across the lobby floor on “just the black squares,” it’s clear that Violet’s visit will be a topsy-turvy experience for her mom’s bemused and beleaguered co-workers. Reichert embellishes a narrative style reminiscent of Laura Numeroff’s in the If You Give… series and presents a sturdy heroine evocative of Kay Thompson’s Eloise (as a member of the proletariat). Violet’s helpful advice interprets coffee breaks (snack time, with doughnuts) and networking (distributing your rampantly photocopied face, appended with your name and title). She helps the boss with his staff presentation (show-and-tell) and revels in office supplies. Boiger weaves her own daughter’s persona into these pencil-and–mixed-media illustrations, depicting Violet and her mother in color, while co-workers are rendered in pale blue-grays and ochres, and office equipment is outlined in similarly sere tones. Violet sports a green, pom-pom–topped cap, red sweater, denim shorts, striped tights and black low-top sneakers. Mom’s cranberry-colored umbrella figures visually in Violet’s day, whether it’s skewering doughnuts or delivering a shower of confetti adeptly fashioned from shredded paper and punched holes.
Many families will enjoy the interplay here between mother (efficient and loving) and daughter (sky’s the limit). (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 20, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4169-7095-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
Gleefully fun.
Is little Jesús prepared for the awesome responsibility of managing Papá’s magical water-jug clock?
Hooray, it’s Saturday! Jesús can help his gardener father with the family business. Jesús is tasked with taking care of the water jug, which, according to Papá, is “also a magical clock. It tells us how much work is left to do!” Jesús gets ready as Mamá reminds them “to drink lots of agua.” Piling into their trusty van with its supplies and intoxicating smell of gasoline, oil, and “yesterday’s cut grass,” Jesús and Papá head out. First stop: the Saldañas’ house, where Jesús gives water to some thirsty old cats, Papá, and himself (and splashes some water on his face) while Papá tends to the lawn. At Juan-Diego’s super big house with its tiny dog, Jesús hands out lots of water to everyone (plus two face splashes) to ward off the heat. By Stop Número Tres, the magical water-jug clock is out of water. Time to go home? But there are still 11 more houses to go. Oh no! Where did Jesús go wrong? A marvelous portrait of a working-class Latine family, Trejo’s picture-book debut, inspired by his own childhood experiences, brims with humorous, childlike observations. Anchored by its pint-sized mischief-maker, this tale of a loving father-son relationship radiates pure warmth. Kinkz’s scrappy watercolor-blended artwork bursts with bright colors and amusing details, matching its tiny hero’s chaotic spirit. Publishes simultaneously in Spanish. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Gleefully fun. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: June 6, 2023
ISBN: 9781662651045
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Minerva
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
A cozy story for the stomach and the soul.
An ode to a beloved comfort food is also a love letter to family ties.
Esme, a dark brown–skinned child with long curly brown hair, and Abuela, who also has dark brown skin, visit the market to buy plátanos. When Abuela reminds Esme that plátanos are love, the young narrator muses, “I thought they were food. But Abuela says they feed us in more ways than one.” Esme receives a brief history lesson during the shopping trip, learning that their ancestors picked plátanos from trees long ago. Esme helps Abuela prepare several mouthwatering plátano dishes and hears more of their family history as they cook. Esme’s ancestors were forbidden from reading, writing, and drawing, so they memorized them and secretly passed the recipes down through generations. The tasty dishes of tostones y patacones, tajadas y maduros, and mangú y fufú are prepared with love and shared with friends and family. Esme writes the recipes down in a notebook titled “Nuestra Familia’s Cookbook” and notes that “Abuela says plátanos are our past. I say plátanos are our present. And with this book, plátanos will always be our future.” Text that incorporates unitalicized Spanish throughout and warm and inviting illustrations convey affection for both food and family and will leave readers hungry for plátanos. Characters throughout the book read as Afro-Latine. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A cozy story for the stomach and the soul. (glossary, recipes) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 11, 2023
ISBN: 9781665902731
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf