A delicate, devastating story about living with loss.
Cotton-candy clouds, sweet forest animals, and a strong bond between a girl and a monster frame an unexpectedly poignant story of grief.
Young Valentina, a girl with pale skin and a tangle of red hair, comes to a forest one day, attracted by the scent of sugary sweetness. The source is a new cotton-candy stand run by Monster, a giant, shaggy, horned creature covered in pale pink fur. The two become instant friends, building spun clouds that float above a fantasy world in which verdant hills have eyes and stuffed animals become tea-party companions. But early in the story, hints of a darker subtext appear. Monster helps Valentina with her nightmares, and Valentina brightens Monster’s fur with her love. When the dark of winter arrives, Monster disappears, never to return. The forest animals arrive to comfort her. A rabbit elder explains, “At some point, when the body grows old, it stops feeling, stops breathing. It fades away. We leave this world to start a new journey. It was Monster’s time to journey on.” The memory of Monster’s love keeps Valentina’s nightmares from returning, and when she grows up and has a daughter of her own, Monster’s legacy and the forest’s healing powers stay with her. Ruiz’s tale is haunting and uniquely styled, with its fantastical elements perfectly balanced by a profoundly wise understanding of grief. Unlike the stretchy pink clouds that dot the sky, it’s an examination of death and trauma that is anything but sugarcoated. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
A delicate, devastating story about living with loss. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: May 28, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4788-7059-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Reycraft Books
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
This cautionary tale set in a library with dragon patrons is worth circulating.
Have you ever thought about bringing your dragon to the library? Don’t do it!
In rhyming couplets, a bunch of kids bring their individual dragons (six in all) to the library, and unsurprisingly, they break all the behavior rules. “Maybe you’re thinking, 'Don’t worry, it’s fine. / There’s plenty of space in that library of mine.' / Perhaps that’s true, but he’s sure to roam. / Then you’ll be wishing you had left him at home.” A double-page spread here shows a big, blue dragon with droopy ears nosing around the bookcases, while in the following spread, he’s pushing them over as he tries to fit between them, visually underscoring the refrain: “So do not bring your dragon to the library!” The vibrantly colored illustrations overflow the pages, use aerial perspectives, and accentuate the size of the dragons. It’s a clever approach to proper library do’s and don’ts. Kudos for including a kid in a wheelchair in the thoughtfully diverse cast, but jeers for the stereotypical demiglasses, bun, and drab clothing worn by the black librarian. The dragons are as colorful as the characters are multiracial, appearing in shades of vivid purple, blue, green, and orange polka dots. The text struggles with scansion and rhythm, but the energy of the illustrations helps to mitigate its flaws.
This cautionary tale set in a library with dragon patrons is worth circulating. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-62370-651-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Readers will laugh all the way up the mountain and down as the goblin searches for and finds a very unmysterious yeti.
If you’ve ever wanted to talk with a friendly goblin or meet a yeti, here’s your chance.
Gilbert, a blue-green goblin with huge eyes and ears, whispers to readers on the title page, then engages them in a discussion about how mysterious goblins are (they “pop up in unexpected places,” “lurk in the shadows,” and “are masters of disguise”) and how unmysterious yetis are. To prove the point, Gilbert is determined to find and photograph a yeti. Gilbert plows through the snow, snapping pictures of “yetis” that turn out to be shrubbery, an ice carving, and even a “snowboarding unicorn in a puffy coat.” These illustrations are giggleworthy, but they also share a secret with readers. Gilbert is totally unaware of actual yetis quietly gathering to watch. Frustrated, Gilbert screams, triggering an avalanche. Thanks to a sign in one of the illustrations, readers know before Gilbert that the avalanche is whisking the protagonist toward a secret yeti hideout. With a gulp, Gilbert lands in the hideout, but after many goblin-yeti photos, Gilbert confirms that “yetis aren’t so mysterious. They are just a little shy…until they’re not.” Gilbert's large eyes and open face reveal a range of emotions, and small details help individualize the yetis. Gilbert's running conversation with readers, presented in speech bubbles, is engaging; repeat readings will also reveal humorous details in the artwork. With some pages divided into panels, this one has the feel of a graphic novel. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Readers will laugh all the way up the mountain and down as the goblin searches for and finds a very unmysterious yeti. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Nov. 8, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-66592-177-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022
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