Offers young readers a cheerful introduction to autumn and models observation, optimism, and resilience in the face of...
A routine-loving young calf reluctantly learns to embrace change in this Tractor Mac installment.
Anthropomorphic Tractor Mac and his animal friends at Stony Meadow Farm are observing the seasonal shift from summer to autumn when they realize that one of their number is struggling with the transition: Fergus the calf has never experienced autumn, and he “does not like change.” The animals and Tractor Mac demonstrate familiarity with the why and not just the what of farm operations—as participants in the cyclical patterns dictated by the changing seasons, they gladly articulate to Fergus how the changes benefit the farm. The endpapers feature clearly labeled diagrams of Tractor Mac as well as his new mounted corn picker, which will delight readers interested in vehicles and machinery. Steers’ realistic watercolor-and-ink illustrations establish Stony Meadow and its expressive animal occupants in the foreground in warm shades of yellow, orange, and red while the white farmer couple appears most frequently in the background. When other humans are pictured, as at the Pumpkin Picking Festival, they are overwhelmingly white with just a few exceptions. The book’s lack of ethnic diversity, coupled with historically ambiguous depictions of vehicles and attire, suggests the story is set in the American rural northeast sometime around the middle of the 20th century.
Offers young readers a cheerful introduction to autumn and models observation, optimism, and resilience in the face of unexpected change. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Aug. 20, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-374-30920-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: April 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This warm family story is a splendid showcase for the combined talents of Medina, a Pura Belpré award winner, and Dominguez,...
Abuela is coming to stay with Mia and her parents. But how will they communicate if Mia speaks little Spanish and Abuela, little English? Could it be that a parrot named Mango is the solution?
The measured, evocative text describes how Mia’s español is not good enough to tell Abuela the things a grandmother should know. And Abuela’s English is too poquito to tell Mia all the stories a granddaughter wants to hear. Mia sets out to teach her Abuela English. A red feather Abuela has brought with her to remind her of a wild parrot that roosted in her mango trees back home gives Mia an idea. She and her mother buy a parrot they name Mango. And as Abuela and Mia teach Mango, and each other, to speak both Spanish and English, their “mouths [fill] with things to say.” The accompanying illustrations are charmingly executed in ink, gouache, and marker, “with a sprinkling of digital magic.” They depict a cheery urban neighborhood and a comfortable, small apartment. Readers from multigenerational immigrant families will recognize the all-too-familiar language barrier. They will also cheer for the warm and loving relationship between Abuela and Mia, which is evident in both text and illustrations even as the characters struggle to understand each other. A Spanish-language edition, Mango, Abuela, y yo, gracefully translated by Teresa Mlawer, publishes simultaneously.
This warm family story is a splendid showcase for the combined talents of Medina, a Pura Belpré award winner, and Dominguez, an honoree. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6900-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Combining a dash of math with buckets of good humor, this book is certainly like money in the bank.
A newly minted penny searches for meaning.
“Hot off the minting press, Penny sparkled,” the story begins, but her initial gusto turns to sorrow when it becomes clear that the world only sees her as a lowly cent, fit to be ignored. As she is jostled about by the tide of circumstance, she meets various coins and types of paper who enlighten her on the ways of the world. Sticking out of an open purse, Bill Bill, a $1 note cowpoke, cautions her that “it takes a hundred of you to do what I do.” In a video game arcade, Quarter coolly explains that “slot surfin’ is quarters-only. You’re twenty-four cents short.” In a sweet shop, donnish Dime subjects Penny to a cogent history lesson about inflation’s effects on so-called “penny candy.” Nickel, a morose street coin with beard stubble, turns down her offer to pair up. Penny hits a low point when she encounters an alarming newspaper headline: “THE GREAT PENNY DEBATE: ARE THEY WORTHLESS?” Thankfully, her fortunes shift upon meeting another penny who encourages her (“Heads up…we’re good luck when we put our best face forward!”) and leads her to the one place where she and her kind are truly valued. Filled with clever and chucklesome wordplay, Wilson’s spry narrative is engaging but also educational, providing a solid, accessible introduction to basic money equivalents. Hoffmann’s illustrations, rendered in acrylic, colored pencil, and pan pastel with digital touches, incorporate comicslike sound effects and nimbly extend the text with comedic touches.
Combining a dash of math with buckets of good humor, this book is certainly like money in the bank. (facts, author’s note, chart, bibliography) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 5, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-64567-468-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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