by Ana de Moraes ; illustrated by Thiago de Moraes ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2016
A near miss.
Caretakers of invented animals need special instructions and great imagination.
As the text emphatically states (in gigantic print), this is not a simple handbook for the easy tasks of zookeepers or farmers but for the mashup of those two careers. The name given to this career indicates the pattern for the names of the created animals, which are combinations of wild animals and those found on a farm. Each of these unusual creatures is depicted in soft tones of gray, brown, blue, and green against a pale gray background on a double-page spread. The accompanying large-type text names it and gives a bit of helpful information about it. A “polar cow” eats strawberries, dances, and then proceeds to produce ice cream. It’s hard to see the glorious feathers of the “pigcock,” because they’re covered in mud. The “horsodile” can provide a very fast ride on land or underwater. Several of the critters are amusing and creative and will elicit giggles from young readers, but others might just cause puzzlement. The “girafooster” might not be recognized by either of its parts, and it is only the text that gives a clue to its identity. The “shiger” is a delightful creature, but the wooly stripes noted in the text are not readily evident in the illustration. It’s clever and often charming but uneven overall.
A near miss. (Picture book. 5-9)Pub Date: April 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-5124-0424-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Andersen Press USA
Review Posted Online: Jan. 8, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2016
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by Ana de Moraes ; illustrated by Thiago de Moraes
by Rebecca Elliott ; illustrated by Rebecca Elliott ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 26, 2019
A surprisingly nuanced lesson set in confidence-building, easy-to-decode text.
A unicorn learns a friendship lesson in this chapter-book series opener.
Unicorn Bo has friends but longs for a “bestie.” Luckily, a new unicorn pops into existence (literally: Unicorns appear on especially starry nights) and joins Bo at the Sparklegrove School for Unicorns, where they study things like unicorn magic. Each unicorn has a special power; Bo’s is granting wishes. Not knowing what his own might be distresses new unicorn Sunny. When the week’s assignment is to earn a patch by using their unicorn powers to help someone, Bo hopes Sunny will wish to know Bo's power (enabling both unicorns to complete the task, and besides, Bo enjoys Sunny’s company and wants to help him). But when the words come out wrong, Sunny thinks Bo was feigning friendship to get to grant a wish and earn a patch, setting up a fairly sophisticated conflict. Bo makes things up to Sunny, and then—with the unicorns friends again and no longer trying to force their powers—arising circumstances enable them to earn their patches. The cheerful illustrations feature a sherbet palette, using patterns for texture; on busy pages with background colors similar to the characters’ color schemes, this combines with the absence of outlines to make discerning some individual characters a challenge. The format, familiar to readers of Elliott’s Owl Diaries series, uses large print and speech bubbles to keep pages to a manageable amount of text.
A surprisingly nuanced lesson set in confidence-building, easy-to-decode text. (Fantasy. 5-8)Pub Date: Dec. 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-32332-0
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2019
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by Rebecca Elliott ; illustrated by Rebecca Elliott
by Jessie Sima ; illustrated by Jessie Sima ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 2, 2023
Weathers heavy themes with breezy sensitivity…and unicorns!
Emotional storm clouds come between two unicorn friends.
Harking back to Not Quite Narwhal (2017) in both cast and tone, Sima offers a friendship tale in which Kelp’s close and aptly named pal Nimbus acquires a dark little cloud that rains when she feels down. The more she tries to ignore it or bottle it up, the bigger it gets…until it finally breaks out in a storm that sends her fleeing all company to huddle alone in a gloomy forest. There, she discovers that recognizing and getting to know the cloud actually makes it shrink—and just as she’s feeling a bit better, Kelp gallops into view, which sets the stage for a joyful reunion depicted in the sweet, softly hued illustrations with an exuberant rainbow swirl. Kelp, who turns out to be “a very good listener,” acknowledges the cloud matter-of-factly, and Nimbus comes to understand that though she may have up days and down days to come, weathering the latter with an accepting friend will make them easier. If some young readers subject to or familiar with similar storms (or a bit foggy on what a metaphor is) need explanation or discussion about depression to clear the air, the comforting message nonetheless shines brightly. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Weathers heavy themes with breezy sensitivity…and unicorns! (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9781665916981
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 7, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2023
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by Jessie Sima ; illustrated by Jessie Sima
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by Jessie Sima ; illustrated by Jessie Sima
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by Jessie Sima ; illustrated by Jessie Sima
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