Perhaps “Sweetie” would more aptly be named “Bittersweet.” (Picture book. 2-7)
A bird learns the value of freedom in this import from China via Australia.
Sweetie the wild myna (a type of starling native to Asia) loves freedom and the ability to sing at will that comes with it. Soon Sweetie comes across an urban human family that seems “happy and friendly,” and the bird decides to join it, surrendering to captivity and the family’s joy in its new pet. Sweetie recognizes the family’s kind treatment: Sweetie has a comfortable cage, excellent food, and company now and again. But no matter what the family does, something still feels wrong to Sweetie, who has lost all desire to sing and thinks only of freedom. When the family finally realizes why Sweetie is “always so melancholy,” they drive the bird “back to the mountains” and to what appears to be a cross between a zoo and a nature preserve (the lettering above the entrance is the only text not translated into English from Chinese). Sweetie, now joyous, flies blissfully over the “jungle” of captive animals, unaware or uncaring of the other animals who stare, perhaps longingly, after the bird. Black, cut-paper silhouettes backed on tan paper mix with sporadic background pencil sketches to create quiet but intricate illustrations. Stiff language (“I am a myna who loves to fly and sing joyfully”), as flat as the silhouettes, undercuts the effectiveness of the emotional message.
Perhaps “Sweetie” would more aptly be named “Bittersweet.” (Picture book. 2-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-76036-035-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Starfish Bay
Review Posted Online: Feb. 19, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.
A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.
Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories.
Kids know vegetables can be scary, but rarely are edible roots out to get someone. In this whimsical mock-horror tale, carrots nearly frighten the whiskers off Jasper Rabbit, an interloper at Crackenhopper Field.
Jasper loves carrots, especially those “free for the taking.” He pulls some in the morning, yanks out a few in the afternoon, and comes again at night to rip out more. Reynolds builds delicious suspense with succinct language that allows understatements to be fully exploited in Brown’s hilarious illustrations. The cartoon pictures, executed in pencil and then digitally colored, are in various shades of gray and serve as a perfectly gloomy backdrop for the vegetables’ eerie orange on each page. “Jasper couldn’t get enough carrots … / … until they started following him.” The plot intensifies as Jasper not only begins to hear the veggies nearby, but also begins to see them everywhere. Initially, young readers will wonder if this is all a product of Jasper’s imagination. Was it a few snarling carrots or just some bathing items peeking out from behind the shower curtain? The ending truly satisfies both readers and the book’s characters alike. And a lesson on greed goes down like honey instead of a forkful of spinach.
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 21, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0297-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
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