A fantasy that offers nods to the escapism of literature yet lacks fresh insight for younger readers.
Spears’ debut picture book uses the world of children’s literature as an avenue for inspiration and rediscovery.
A young Black girl who, for unspecified reasons, is unable to go outside decides to peruse her home’s bookshelves, stumbling upon some of her mother’s old books. She hopes to meet new friends and explore new lands in their pages, and she’s quickly pulled into the world of beloved children’s classics. The young girl goes on a literary journey that alludes to several well-known picture books, such as Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Crockett Johnson’s Harold and the Purple Crayon, and novels, such as J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit; on each page, she walks through familiar scenes and interacts with beloved (if unnamed) characters. Spears’ quiet ode to children’s literature offers full-color images that will particularly evoke nostalgia in adults. The light, rhyming text provides a whisper of each book’s content, sparking memories for those familiar with them; the whimsical, full-color pastel illustrations present real and mythical animals, items, and happenings from the various tales. However, without a solid, overriding plot that links the unrelated books together, this light family read lacks a clear hook that might have made it resonate more strongly with kids.
A fantasy that offers nods to the escapism of literature yet lacks fresh insight for younger readers.Pub Date: March 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-57-882568-7
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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