A powerful and realistic depiction of the refugee experience that lacks closure.
Kajtazovic draws from her experience as a refugee and survivor of the Bosnian War in this dramatic illustrated children’s book.
The story opens on a little girl named Anesa, who receives a puppy called Bobi as a gift for her 7th birthday. Overjoyed, she and Bobi become fast friends. Anesa tells Bobi about her plans to make friends at school, how she can write her name, and about her love of recess. As Anesa enters second grade, war disrupts her life when her father and older cousins leave to fight. Soon, Anesa must stay home for safety. The family loses power and must subsist on leftovers and canned foods; Anesa misses her mother’s cooking. Gunfire, explosions, and tanks become commonplace. Anesa’s mother instructs her to pack a bag of clothes. A few days later, Anesa reluctantly leaves Bobi behind with her grandparents and the family frantically flees their home. “There was no time to stop and cry. I had to stay strong and keep going,” Anesa narrates. Anesa is briefly separated from her mother and younger sister, but they find one another and soon reunite with Anesa’s father. The family boards a truck that takes them to a United Nations refugee camp. Preparing to sleep on a hard floor far from the comforts of home, Anesa hugs her teddy bear and hopes she will one day see Bobi again. Kajtazovic’s storytelling is straightforward and gripping, with a pace and intensity that reflect the urgency of fleeing war. The author describes events simply without sacrificing emotional impact in lines like, “In the street, everyone was running in the same direction. Some were still wearing pajamas. Most people were shouting or crying. I felt like I was in a scary movie.” Anesa’s sincere bond with Bobi will be relatable to pet lovers. Somova’s detailed facial illustrations show how war changes Anesa’s once carefree demeanor to one that is anxious and fearful. Unfortunately, the story ends abruptly without a resolution regarding Anesa’s or Bobi’s fates.
A powerful and realistic depiction of the refugee experience that lacks closure.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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