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FIRST SNOW

Name: FIRST SNOW
Author: Bomi Park
ISBN: 978-1-4521-5472-5

by Bomi Park ; illustrated by Bomi Park ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 6, 2016

Readers will find themselves longing for the season’s first snow, too.

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A little Korean child celebrates the titular first snow.

Bundling up in a white snowsuit, red scarf, and white-and-red mittens, the child tiptoes out of the house in the dark of night to be joined by a young white puppy. “Pat, pat, pat. / Roll, roll, roll.” The child makes a snowball and rolls it along, under streetlamps and the moon, next to an elevated train track, and into the woods. Here, spreads that have been dominated by night-sky black dotted with fluffy, textured snowflakes turn dazzlingly white, with snow-covered trees and mountains as background. In wordless spreads, the protagonist, now dwarfed by the giant snowball, is joined by other bundled-up children, in gray and black with red accents, with giant balls of their own. Together, they make huge, smiling snowmen, both filling a vast plain and floating in the sky before the page turns, and, abruptly, all readers see is the lone, first child isolated in the right-hand corner of the spread with tongue out to catch the flakes. Another turn of the page reveals the backyard with a modest, red-mufflered snowman next to the doghouse, leaving readers to wonder how much of the adventure was real. In her debut, Seoul-based author/illustrator Park captures the magic of the first snow, her limited palette and textured canvas creating a soft, welcoming world.

Readers will find themselves longing for the season’s first snow, too. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-4521-5472-5

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Review Posted Online: July 25, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

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DOLL-E 1.0

by Shanda McCloskey ; illustrated by Shanda McCloskey ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2018

An engaging story arguing for the marriage of technology with creativity and play.

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A young girl receives a puzzling gift.

Young Charlotte has always been the most tech-savvy member of her family, helping her mother with a tablet and her father with the smart TV. After Charlotte’s parents observe a news report cautioning against letting kids get “too techy,” the couple presents Charlotte with a doll. The doll doesn’t move or think—it simply sits and utters the word “Ma-ma.” Charlotte reasons that for a doll to talk it must have a power supply, and with a few modifications and a little imagination, Charlotte’s doll becomes Doll-E 1.0. The STEM-friendly narrative is brought to life with charming pencil-and-watercolor illustrations, edited in Photoshop. The scratchy lines are reminiscent of the pictures children like Charlotte sketch at their drawing boards, and the dynamic compositions burst with energy. Charlotte is an engaging character, expressive and thoughtful in equal measure. Charlotte’s doll is adorably rendered, looking mostly like any other common doll but just unique enough that little ones may want one of their own. Charlotte and her family present white; little dog Bluetooth is a scruffy, white terrier.

An engaging story arguing for the marriage of technology with creativity and play. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: May 1, 2018

ISBN: 978-0-316-51031-8

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2018

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

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by Catherine Thimmesh ; illustrated by Shanda McCloskey

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by Dan Richards ; illustrated by Shanda McCloskey

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LITTLE RED AND THE BIG BAD EDITOR
by Rebecca Kraft Rector ; illustrated by Shanda McCloskey

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THERE'S AN ALIEN IN YOUR BOOK

From the Who's in Your Book? series

by Tom Fletcher ; illustrated by Greg Abbott ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 30, 2020

Not exactly out of this world but a pleaser just the same.

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Earth friends are easy to make for this roly-poly, extraterrestrial cutie.

Fletcher pens the fourth in his interactive book series, this time invading his pages with a crash-landed ET. At first readers are encouraged to tell the space being to shove off, but pretty quickly it becomes clear that it’s just too adorable to send away like that. Mostly yellow, it looks like nothing more than a smiley face with antennae, its oversized head occupying more volume than its trunk, arms, legs, and tail combined. The undersides of its hands, feet, and tail are bright green. Repairing its damaged spaceship is out of the question, and attempts to launch it into space by having readers bounce, turn, and lift the book are fruitless. Does it belong here? Well, when readers stop to consider all the creatures that live on this planet (including a cameo by the author in the art), we can recognize that “we’re all weird and wonderful.” So the alien stays and even makes a friend with the star of There’s a Monster in Your Book (2017). The story makes mild overtures toward the idea of embracing our differences no matter our appearance, but that’s all superseded by the interactive elements. By now the series is treading familiar ground, but fans will find the combination of cute creatures and gentle moralizing a comfort.

Not exactly out of this world but a pleaser just the same. (Picture book. 3-6)