by Andrée Poulin ; illustrated by Lucile Danis Drouot ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 18, 2020
Look elsewhere, whether in search of a story about conformity, friendship, or just the color pink.
A pink flamingo finds his place in a monochromatic world.
The story opens with the information that “Zac the zebra and Poncho the panda are like two peas in a pod,” but readers quickly learn that the story revolves around Filippo, a blotchily pink flamingo desperate to be their friend. Filippo repeatedly asks the black-and-white animals if he can play with them and is met with refusal and ridicule on the grounds of his pinkness. His family members defend their hue with various logical explanations, but nothing soothes the hurt of exclusion, and Filippo worries that “Pink is for crybabies and silly princesses.” But Ludo the lemur, lurking in the background of almost every spread, comes up to the sobbing flamingo and explains everything he loves about the color pink, ending with “I’m black and white, but I’d love to play with you.” The story ends with a whole crew of colorful animals playing together (sans panda and zebra). Bursts of color and rough, expressive animal cartoons carry the otherwise humdrum and uneven story. The use of present tense, abrupt transitions, and depthless prose fails to elevate the tried-and-tired you’re-great-as-you-are narrative seen in countless other picture books.
Look elsewhere, whether in search of a story about conformity, friendship, or just the color pink. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Feb. 18, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-77278-104-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Pajama Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
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by Pip Jones ; illustrated by Sara Ogilvie ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2020
A disappointing follow-up.
Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).
While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.
A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
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by Tom Percival ; illustrated by Tom Percival ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 3, 2019
A valuable asset to the library of a child who experiences anxiety and a great book to get children talking about their...
Ruby is an adventurous and happy child until the day she discovers a Worry.
Ruby barely sees the Worry—depicted as a blob of yellow with a frowny unibrow—at first, but as it hovers, the more she notices it and the larger it grows. The longer Ruby is affected by this Worry, the fewer colors appear on the page. Though she tries not to pay attention to the Worry, which no one else can see, ignoring it prevents her from enjoying the things that she once loved. Her constant anxiety about the Worry causes the bright yellow blob to crowd Ruby’s everyday life, which by this point is nearly all washes of gray and white. But at the playground, Ruby sees a boy sitting on a bench with a growing sky-blue Worry of his own. When she invites the boy to talk, his Worry begins to shrink—and when Ruby talks about her own Worry, it also grows smaller. By the book’s conclusion, Ruby learns to control her Worry by talking about what worries her, a priceless lesson for any child—or adult—conveyed in a beautifully child-friendly manner. Ruby presents black, with hair in cornrows and two big afro-puff pigtails, while the boy has pale skin and spiky black hair.
A valuable asset to the library of a child who experiences anxiety and a great book to get children talking about their feelings (. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0237-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
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