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THE WORLD SEEN FROM HERE

Name: THE WORLD SEEN FROM HERE
Author: Benedetta Montesi
ISBN: 978-1-4834-6848-8

by Benedetta Montesi ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 8, 2017

Clumsy in places but with many charming moments.

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In Montesi’s debut chapter book, three children become friends as they learn about themselves, the world around them, and one another.

Elementary school student Beatrice is blonde, freckled, sporty, and loves treehouses. When she hears that Antoine, a red-haired boy in her neighborhood whom she doesn’t know very well, has built one, she feels compelled to go and see it. Antoine is glad that Beatrice is interested and makes an appointment to have tea with her the next day; he also invites his dark-haired, thin friend Giorgio. Antoine is precise and organized; Giorgio is curious and a little clumsy. After their first tea together, the three become friends. Giorgio, who loves animals, introduces Beatrice and Antoine to several different kinds, including red fish, a turtle, tadpoles, a hen, ducklings, multiple trout, and ants, while explaining how to observe and interpret their behaviors. Sometimes the interactions are playful, as when Giorgio seems to understand his pet turtle’s vanity and the need to flatter her; other times, the approach is more scientific, as when the children devise a test of their ducklings’ decision-making skills. The kids also race go-karts and attend a carnival. In these activities, the children discuss different approaches to life; for example, Giorgio is practical, while Beatrice is philosophical. But they find these differences intriguing rather than annoying: “We are all unique, and tolerance for each other makes us live in a world of endless discoveries,” concludes the third-person narrator. This final moral is laid on a little thick, and the book’s beginning is a bit confusing, with an initial “Introduction” followed by “The Real Introduction.” In between, though, Montesi offers many delightful scenes, some of which have an engaging poignancy. For example, the kids find that Clarissa, a hen, is hopelessly in love with Giorgio. Beatrice hilariously explains to the bird that “He will never be able to love you back, especially in the long run.” The kids then intuit that Clarissa believes that “Love is blind, and there is nothing I can do about it.” Such scenes offer much more pleasure than the book’s unsubtle messages about appreciating difference.

Clumsy in places but with many charming moments.

Pub Date: June 8, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-4834-6848-8

Page Count: 56

Publisher: Lulu

Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2017

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

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A DOG NAMED SAM

by Janice Boland & illustrated by G. Brian Karas ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1996

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A book that will make young dog-owners smile in recognition and confirm dogless readers' worst suspicions about the mayhem caused by pets, even winsome ones. Sam, who bears passing resemblance to an affable golden retriever, is praised for fetching the family newspaper, and goes on to fetch every other newspaper on the block. In the next story, only the children love Sam's swimming; he is yelled at by lifeguards and fishermen alike when he splashes through every watering hole he can find. Finally, there is woe to the entire family when Sam is bored and lonely for one long night. Boland has an essential message, captured in both both story and illustrations of this Easy-to-Read: Kids and dogs belong together, especially when it's a fun-loving canine like Sam. An appealing tale. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: April 1, 1996

ISBN: 0-8037-1530-7

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Dial Books

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1996

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

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CINDERELLA

From the Once Upon a World series

by Chloe Perkins ; illustrated by Sandra Equihua ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 13, 2016

A nice but not requisite purchase.

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A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.

Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.

A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)