HANA RESCUES MISTY

Name: HANA RESCUES MISTY
Author: Azra Z. Mehdi
ISBN: 978-0615553610

by Azra Z. Mehdi illustrated by Sama Nadeem Izhar ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 4, 2012

A light-hearted tale with an important message for young readers: courage comes in many forms, and often means putting our...

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A stranded kitten leads to a lesson in courage and empathy for a young girl in Mehdi’s simple children’s tale.

Hana hears a mysterious meowing while walking home from the grocery store with her mother. Upon investigating, they discover a lone kitten stuck high in a tree. As she gazes at the white and black kitten with purple stripes, Hana wonders what it would feel like if she were stranded without her mother. A quick phone call to the fire department sends rescuers scrambling up a ladder in an attempt to recover the kitten. But the skittish kitten keeps crawling higher. Eager to assist, Hana asks if she can try to coax the kitten down. This earns her an adamant “Absolutely not!” from the fire brigade. But Hana won’t be deterred and soon finds herself harnessed to one of the firemen, ascending the ladder. Eventually, Hana saves the day through her bravery and determination. Mehdi’s slender tale emphasizes many admirable qualities, such as Hana’s ability to empathize and her instinct to get help. However, the ending shifts the focus to Hana’s bravery in climbing the ladder, an act few parents would want to glamorize. Izhar’s illustrations of Hana in her helmet and harness happily climbing the ladder seem to further make light of the danger, despite the text’s insistence that she is frightened. Overall, Izhar’s illustrations work well alongside Mehdi’s text and convey amusing details, such as the strikingly similar facial expressions of mother and daughter as they search for the kitten. Although the concept of this book is far from original, there is a small twist at the very end that adds depth and layer to the story; Hana learns that life can be unfair, even for heroes.

A light-hearted tale with an important message for young readers: courage comes in many forms, and often means putting our own fears aside to help another.

Pub Date: Jan. 4, 2012

ISBN: 978-0615553610

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Azra Z. Mehdi

Review Posted Online: March 7, 2012

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

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I WISH YOU MORE

by Amy Krouse Rosenthal ; illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2015

Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.

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A collection of parental wishes for a child.

It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.

Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)

Pub Date: April 1, 2015

ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

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EASTER BUNNY HELPER
by Amy Krouse Rosenthal & Christy Webster ; illustrated by Brigette Barrager & Chiara Fiorentino

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MOO-MOO, I LOVE YOU!
by Tom Lichtenheld & Amy Krouse Rosenthal ; illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld

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CHOO-CHOO SCHOOL
by Amy Krouse Rosenthal ; illustrated by Mike Yamada

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GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS

illustrated by James Marshall ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1988

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With the same delightfully irreverent spirit that he brought to his retelling of "Little Red Riding Hood" (1987), Marshall enlivens another favorite. Although completely retold with his usual pungent wit and contemporary touches ("I don't mind if I do," says Goldilocks, as she tries out porridge, chair, and bed), Marshall retains the stories well-loved pattern, including Goldilocks escaping through the window (whereupon Baby Bear inquires, "Who was that little girl?"). The illustrations are fraught with delicious humor and detail: books that are stacked everywhere around the rather cluttered house, including some used in lieu of a missing leg for Papa Bear's chair; comically exaggerated beds—much too high at the head and the foot; and Baby Bear's wonderfully messy room, which certainly brings the story into the 20th century. Like its predecessor, perfect for several uses, from picture-book hour to beginning reading.