Fans of fairy tales as well as adults looking to reinforce lessons in how to create and sustain happiness from within will...
Sulky Princess Rosie is only happy when there are rainbows in the sky.
Determined to please the little princess, her parents offer a bag of gold to anyone who can bring her a “forever rainbow.” People come from far and wide, offering rainbows of all types. But Princess Rosie remains disappointed, for none of them are real. The Royal Astronomer has better luck, placing a glass of water on a windowsill, at least until the clouds roll in and the rainbow vanishes. (A backmatter activity extends this lesson.) Finally, Becca, “the Wise Teacher of Farthest Village,” arrives and tells the princess that the rainbows live inside her and that she can enjoy them whenever she wishes. The princess’s unrealistic expectations and dour disposition don’t make her a very sympathetic character, and in the end, she seems too easily persuaded, rendering the resolution unconvincing. The lesson, though, is a good one: true happiness comes from inside, from focusing on the things and people we hold in our hearts. Soft, intricately detailed illustrations accompany the text, helping to establish a believable fairy-tale universe for Rosie and her family to inhabit.
Fans of fairy tales as well as adults looking to reinforce lessons in how to create and sustain happiness from within will appreciate this well-meaning effort. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-937786-44-1
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Wisdom Tales
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A potential gift for fans of the contributors’ earlier work.
A text-heavy, joke-filled monograph about a dreaded bestowal.
In this meta text, an unseen narrator gripes about everything they wish they had received as a present, including a dog and a skateboard. “Now I feel like I have to read it,” the narrator grumps about their book gift. In subsequent spreads, they express their frustration. Sensitive bibliophiles beware: The narrator is ruthless in their scorn of giving books as presents. Some may tire of the message, repeated page after page in different ways: “Look, I’m a doer, not a reader,” one page reads, accompanied by an image of a muscled arm. The narrator makes references to clogging the toilet with homemade slime (“I told them it most definitely wasn’t me”)—a moment that will appeal to older kids who can grasp and revel in the humor. Human skin is shown as printer paper white, tan, and blue. Layouts are boisterous yet uncluttered, using text in various sizes, colors, and fonts. Pleasant near-pastel yellow, blue, and purple back up goofy illustrations, sure to draw interest even if the quips go over younger kids’ heads. Some elements, like the desire to receive X-ray vision as a present, will resonate widely with the target audience, though the story largely treads similar ground as Greenfield and Lowery’s I Don’t Want To Read This Book (2021). (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A potential gift for fans of the contributors’ earlier work. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-46236-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: July 12, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A delectable bilingual experience.
Little Lobo is tasked with nourishing nine famished luchadores.
Following ¡Vamos! Let’s Go to the Market (2019), author/illustrator Raúl the Third and colorist Bay create a second installment in their bilingual series, ¡Vamos!, here following Little Lobo’s journey as he provides sustenance to hungry lucha libre stars. The cheerfully energetic anthropomorphic wolf reprises his role as a bike courier when he receives a message from El Toro and makes his way to el Coliseo, winding and weaving through busy streets. A mouthwatering experience follows as Little Lobo—accompanied by dog Bernabé and rooster pal Kooky Dooky—picks up tacos, diced fruit, freshly made tortillas, flan, and buñuelos from a gathering of food trucks. As in his other work, Raúl the Third imbues his pages with real-world and pop-culture references. An homage to Picasso’s Guernica, recognizable Ciudad Juárez–El Paso landmarks, a Chavo del Ocho inside a barrel, and even a Chapulín Colorado marionette all make the cut. Readers ignorant of these specifics will not feel left out: The busy pages filled with interesting characters and intriguing bilingual signage make readers wish they could jump into the pages and experience the bustling town. Bay’s comic book–style coloring and creative textures provide a deep cultural exposure to the lavish array of Mexican food throughout the spreads. After enjoying the story, readers will keep going back to savor all the minuscule details.
A delectable bilingual experience. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 24, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-328-55704-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Versify/HMH
Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2020
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