Readers will be doing a snow dance and waiting for winter all the more.
Goldstone follows up his Awesome Autumn (2012) with a salute to all things winter.
As autumn’s tome was devoted to change, this one fashions winter as “a season of wondering and waiting.” Some of the things Goldstone imagines that readers might wonder about are how animals survive the cold, how snowflakes and icicles form, and why breath is visible in the cold. And there are all sorts of things people wait for in the winter: for days to get longer, for snow to enjoy winter sports, for everyone to get on their outdoor gear, for winter holidays. Trees wait out the winter by dropping their leaves or having specialized foliage, like evergreens, while animals cope by hibernating or slowing down, and many have adaptations to help them find food or survive the cold. Rounding out the book are spreads delineating things readers can feel, hear, and taste and shapes readers can see in winter. The final page looks forward to “Spectacular Spring,” and the backmatter gives instructions for six wintry crafts, including fake snow, paper snowflakes, and pine cone bird feeders. Photos get readers up-close and personal with the sights of winter; many are cropped to look like mittens, and many pages are decorated with stunning photographs of snowflakes.
Readers will be doing a snow dance and waiting for winter all the more. (Nonfiction. 5-10)Pub Date: Nov. 8, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-8050-9981-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2016
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
A welcome, well-researched reflection of cultural pride in the early-reader landscape.
The fourth installment in Delacre’s early-reader series centers on the rich musical traditions of Puerto Rico, once again featuring sibling tree frogs Rafi and Rosi Coquí.
Readers learn along with Rafi and Rosi as they explore bomba, plena, and salsa in three chapters. A glossary at the beginning sets readers up well to understand the Spanish vocabulary, including accurate phoneticization for non-Spanish speakers. The stories focus on Rafi and Rosi’s relationship within a musical context. For example, in one chapter Rafi finds out that he attracts a larger audience playing his homemade güiro with Rosi’s help even though he initially excluded her: “Big brothers only.” Even when he makes mistakes, as the older brother, Rafi consoles Rosi when she is embarrassed or angry at him. In each instance, their shared joy for music and dance ultimately shines through any upsets—a valuable reflection of unity. Informational backmatter and author’s sources are extensive. Undoubtedly these will help teachers, librarians, and parents to develop Puerto Rican cultural programs, curriculum, or home activities to extend young readers’ learning. The inclusion of instructions to make one’s own homemade güiro is a thoughtful addition. The Spanish translation, also by Delacre and published simultaneously, will require a more advanced reader than the English one to recognize and comprehend contractions (“pa’bajo-pa-pa’rriba”) and relatively sophisticated vocabulary.
A welcome, well-researched reflection of cultural pride in the early-reader landscape. (Early reader. 7-9)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-89239-429-6
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Children's Book Press
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
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