A tear-jerker sure to bring comfort to those facing similar partings.
A child describes their time with their grandmother and their job keeping the bird feeder filled.
Since Grandma got sick, she’s moved in with the child’s family, and the child couldn’t be more thrilled: The two draw together and watch the birds at the feeder outside. But then the child returns home from school to find Grandma’s room empty: A room finally opened up at the hospice, but the child can still visit all they want. It’s not at all the same, but the child improves it when they bring the feeder from home and hang it on a tree outside her window. As days pass, the two eat jello, draw pictures that cover the walls, and visit with Suki, the therapy dog. But readers are sure to notice that Grandma spends more and more time in bed, that she is sleeping more and looking frailer. Her death happens offscreen, the child glad that Grandma got to see the three baby cardinals in their nest but sad she won’t get to see them fly. Once back home again, the child gazes at the birds visiting the feeder outside their bedroom window, pictures of Grandma prominent on the dresser. The digital illustrations masterfully center both the relationship at the heart of the story and the outside world that seems such a part of each scene. The child and mother are tan-skinned and have black hair; Grandma has pale skin and white hair. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A tear-jerker sure to bring comfort to those facing similar partings. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5253-0483-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022
Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader!
Fun with friends makes for a great day.
Norbit, a salmon-colored worm with a pink kerchief, joyfully greets the day and everyone he encounters. “Hello, friends! It’s time for fun with the sun! Let’s play!” He and his menagerie of forest pals—including the sun, who grows limbs and descends from the sky—exuberantly engage in various forms of physical activity such as jumping, going down a slide, spinning around, and watching the clouds go by. Young readers will readily relate, as these are games that most children are familiar with. As day turns to night, Norbit says farewell to Sun and welcomes Moon with an invitation to continue the fun. Watkins has created a vivid world of movement and merriment. Her illustrations feature bright bursts of color that match the energy of the text, with most sentences ending in an exclamation point. The author/illustrator incorporates many elements that make for an ideal early-reading experience (despite the use of a contraction or two): art free from clutter, text consisting of words with only one or two syllables, and repetition and recurring bits, such as a continued game of hide-and-seek with Sun. Inspired by never-before-seen sketches from the Dr. Seuss Collection archives at the University of California San Diego, this is the first title for Seuss Studios, a new imprint for original stories from “emerging authors and illustrators” who “honor Seuss’s hallmark spirit of creativity and imagination.”
Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader! (author's note) (Early reader. 5-8)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9780593646212
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Seuss Studios
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A jam-packed opener sure to satisfy lovers of the princess genre.
Ice princess Lina must navigate family and school in this early chapter read.
The family picnic is today. This is not a typical gathering, since Lina’s maternal relatives are a royal family of Windtamers who have power over the weather and live in castles floating on clouds. Lina herself is mixed race, with black hair and a tan complexion like her Asian-presenting mother’s; her Groundling father appears to be a white human. While making a grand entrance at the castle of her grandfather, the North Wind, she fails to successfully ride a gust of wind and crashes in front of her entire family. This prompts her stern grandfather to ask that Lina move in with him so he can teach her to control her powers. Desperate to avoid this, Lina and her friend Claudia, who is black, get Lina accepted at the Hilltop Science and Arts Academy. Lina’s parents allow her to go as long as she does lessons with grandpa on Saturdays. However, fitting in at a Groundling school is rough, especially when your powers start freak winter storms! With the story unfurling in diary format, bright-pink–highlighted grayscale illustrations help move the plot along. There are slight gaps in the storytelling and the pacing is occasionally uneven, but Lina is full of spunk and promotes self-acceptance.
A jam-packed opener sure to satisfy lovers of the princess genre. (Fantasy. 5-8)Pub Date: June 25, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-35393-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
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