Encouraging and curious.
A sleepy yet poignant pink highlighting characters’ footwear is the sole pigment in this ode to literal and figurative steps.
Illustrations of nameless characters who are diverse in terms of race and ability are joined by sparse text. The opening question “What happens when you take a step?” is turned over carefully, like a precious stone. Poetic declarations like “You greet the world, wide and full” answer the query. A child with curly hair and skin the color of the white page opens a door from an empty room to a vague outdoor landscape. Other scenes include children observing nature, visiting a museum, and attending a rally (“You move toward hope, and you make the world better…”). Though the message of the power of a single step is a good one, it’s somewhat ambiguous, and some readers may be lost or put off by the negative space and lack of colors. Caregivers or educators may want to offer guidance or prompt readers to think about the text. While people using wheelchairs, rolling walkers, and crutches are depicted, they are limited to ensemble scenes and to a spread with close-ups of different feet rather than on pages portraying individual children. Those who enjoyed Murguia’s previous works, Henry Cole’s black-and-white Spot & Dot (2019) or Spot, the Cat (2016), or Cori Doerrfeld’s social emotional books will appreciate these gently crafted, spot colored pages. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Encouraging and curious. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5344-7367-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2022
A disappointing follow-up.
Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).
While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.
A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
A valuable asset to the library of a child who experiences anxiety and a great book to get children talking about their...
Ruby is an adventurous and happy child until the day she discovers a Worry.
Ruby barely sees the Worry—depicted as a blob of yellow with a frowny unibrow—at first, but as it hovers, the more she notices it and the larger it grows. The longer Ruby is affected by this Worry, the fewer colors appear on the page. Though she tries not to pay attention to the Worry, which no one else can see, ignoring it prevents her from enjoying the things that she once loved. Her constant anxiety about the Worry causes the bright yellow blob to crowd Ruby’s everyday life, which by this point is nearly all washes of gray and white. But at the playground, Ruby sees a boy sitting on a bench with a growing sky-blue Worry of his own. When she invites the boy to talk, his Worry begins to shrink—and when Ruby talks about her own Worry, it also grows smaller. By the book’s conclusion, Ruby learns to control her Worry by talking about what worries her, a priceless lesson for any child—or adult—conveyed in a beautifully child-friendly manner. Ruby presents black, with hair in cornrows and two big afro-puff pigtails, while the boy has pale skin and spiky black hair.
A valuable asset to the library of a child who experiences anxiety and a great book to get children talking about their feelings (. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0237-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
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