Transparent moralizing.
When Mateo’s favorite elf—the titular Joy—disappears, his search involves an encounter with the Ragdoll Witch.
Mateo has often seen Joy in such places as Daddy’s beard and “the brum-brum-brum of Grandma and Grampa’s car when they came to see him.” Mateo, who has a fringe of orange hair and no apparent chin, learns from his fish that the Ragdoll Witch was “sick of that pestering pixie.” The witch, whose stylized appearance includes traditional black gown and pointy hat, plus hairy legs, is featured vertically on a double-page-spread as she casts a spell that will enable Mateo to acquire—immediately—anything he wishes for. When his wished-for tablet, roller skates, and dragon appear, Joy begins fading to nothingness. A green-haired fairy produces a counterspell so that Mateo’s wishes are only partially granted: He gets an outing with his grandparents instead of a mountain bike, a book instead of a video game, and, instead of a mansion for his favorite action figure, “his mommy and daddy helped him build a giant house out of old cartons.” Will this make Joy reappear? Perhaps something was lost in the translation from Spanish, as this is a story that even preschoolers will find annoying and sappy. Some of the collaged art is interesting, but much of it is as lackluster as the text. All characters present as white.
Transparent moralizing. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 19, 2018
ISBN: 978-84-946926-1-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: NubeOcho
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
Sure to have little ones giggling.
Jacques is a hedgehog with a big secret: “I wear real, bona fide underwear.”
Our narrator received a mysterious package one day; an illustration shows a pair of underwear tied to a balloon with a note “from the Universe” floating down into Jacques’ burrow. Hedgehogs don’t wear underwear, however. Will Jacques be shunned? Jacques worries but comes to a decision: “I have to wear them. When I do I feel special.” Determined, Jacques, who’s been invited to a party, makes a dramatic entrance, with undies in hand. Jacques’ declaration (“I WEAR UNDERWEAR”) is met with remarks of dismay, before another hedgehog opens up about similar fears and shows off a pair of cowboy boots. More hedgehogs introduce themselves with their own confessions. The story ends with Jacques unveiling a painting of the underwear in a gallery filled with hedgehogs wearing all sorts of attire. Though the book is simple in plot, characters, and setting, it wins in its balance of bathroom humor, dramatic storytelling, and celebrations of individual expression. French words are peppered throughout, adding to the fun without detracting from the story for those unfamiliar with the language. The cartoonish illustrations brim with fun; Valdez relies heavily on geometric shapes (triangle noses for the hedgehogs; huge circles for their eyes). Details such as speech bubbles and recurring turtle and snake characters contribute to the outlandish humor.
Sure to have little ones giggling. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781250814388
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance.
A boy with wings learns to be himself and inspires others like him to soar, too.
Norman, a “perfectly normal” boy, never dreamed he might grow wings. Afraid of what his parents might say, he hides his new wings under a big, stuffy coat. Although the coat hides his wings from the world, Norman no longer finds joy in bathtime, playing at the park, swimming, or birthday parties. With the gentle encouragement of his parents, who see his sadness, Norman finds the courage to come out of hiding and soar. Percival (The Magic Looking Glass, 2017, etc.) depicts Norman with light skin and dark hair. Black-and-white illustrations show his father with dark skin and hair and his mother as white. The contrast of black-and-white illustrations with splashes of bright color complements the story’s theme. While Norman tries to be “normal,” the world and people around him look black and gray, but his coat stands out in yellow. Birds pop from the page in pink, green, and blue, emphasizing the joy and beauty of flying free. The final spread, full of bright color and multiracial children in flight, sets the mood for Norman’s realization on the last page that there is “no such thing as perfectly normal,” but he can be “perfectly Norman.”
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68119-785-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
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