Noncloying but still incredibly sweet, this unicorn story bucks the trend.
A little girl learns that inner confidence can make everything around you shine.
In a magical forest lush with foliage, fairy lights, and trendy, triangle bunting strung along the eaves and trees, a tiny tot named June roams in search of adventure. With patched overalls and a hooded cape, she’s ready. June discovers a grand castle (a treehouse) and a magic wand (a twig), but nothing prepares her for the sight of tiny horses who are learning to fly. “They shook their soft fur, / fluttered their sparkly tails, // and whizzed into the air.” Blue’s horses look an awful lot like wispy-tailed bunnies (with long ears and plump bodies sitting on their haunches), but this is an origin story, so unknowns are easily forgiven. Amid the wonder, June finds one sad little horse who is still on the ground, unable to fly. June wants to help. She waves her wand and wishes a great wish…but nothing happens. Her parents help her realize the magic is in being a good friend. A well-intentioned accident suddenly gives the tiny horse the power he needs, along with a fancy new horn to boot. The cozy forest and sincere narration thrum with the possibility of magic. But June knows: “My magic is deep inside. I don’t need a wand to fly.” June and her family present white.
Noncloying but still incredibly sweet, this unicorn story bucks the trend. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 5, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-358-22926-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2020
A wandering effort, happy but pointless.
The perfect book for kids who love dragons and mild tacos.
Rubin’s story starts with an incantatory edge: “Hey, kid! Did you know that dragons love tacos? They love beef tacos and chicken tacos. They love really big gigantic tacos and tiny little baby tacos as well.” The playing field is set: dragons, tacos. As a pairing, they are fairly silly, and when the kicker comes in—that dragons hate spicy salsa, which ignites their inner fireworks—the silliness is sillier still. Second nature, after all, is for dragons to blow flames out their noses. So when the kid throws a taco party for the dragons, it seems a weak device that the clearly labeled “totally mild” salsa comes with spicy jalapenos in the fine print, prompting the dragons to burn down the house, resulting in a barn-raising at which more tacos are served. Harmless, but if there is a parable hidden in the dragon-taco tale, it is hidden in the unlit deep, and as a measure of lunacy, bridled or unbridled, it doesn’t make the leap into the outer reaches of imagination. Salmieri’s artwork is fitting, with a crabbed, ethereal line work reminiscent of Peter Sís, but the story does not offer it enough range.
A wandering effort, happy but pointless. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3680-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series.
Another creature is on the loose.
The long-running series continues its successful formula with this Hallmark card of a book, which features bright illustrations and catchy rhymes. This time, the mythical creature the racially diverse children set out to catch is an absent mom who does it all (lists of descriptors include the words banker, caregiver, nurse, doctor, driver, chef, housekeeper, teacher, entertainer, playmate, laundry service, problem solver, handywoman, cleaner, and alarm clock) but doesn’t seem to have a job outside the home and is inexplicably a dinosaur. As the children prepare gifts and a meal for her, the text becomes an ode to the skills the Mamasaurus possesses (“Day or night she’s always there. / She meets every wish and need”) and values she instills (“Sometimes life can mean hard work,” “kindness matters,” and “what counts is doing your best”). This well-intentioned selection veers into cliche generously sprinkled with saccharine but manages to redeem itself with its appreciation for mothers and all that they may do. Endpapers include a “to” and “from” page framed in a heart, as well as a page where young gift givers or recipients can draw a picture of their Mamasaurus.
A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781728274300
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
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