A compelling treatment of the life of an important South Asian ruler and religious leader.
When Prince Ashoka was born, few would have predicted that he would go on to conquer almost the entirety of the Indian subcontinent.
In addition to having physical attributes that were not considered befitting a king—such as dark, patchy skin and a “pudgy” body—Ashoka had a fierce, unpredictable temper. Knowing that he was considered a disappointment, Ashoka focused on his studies, hoping to earn his father’s affection. No matter how hard he worked, though, he never felt loved or accepted by family and friends. But when he grew older and his father died, a wise minister recognized Ashoka’s promise and found a way to crown him king. With his newfound power, Ashoka channeled his anger into conquering neighboring kingdoms—something his gentle and loving wife, Asandamitra, did not condone. After a particularly bloody battle, Ashoka came to regret the destruction he had enabled and vowed to dedicate his life to Buddhism. On the advice of a Buddhist monk, he traveled his kingdom learning its teachings. The journey changed him into a ruler so benevolent that his people stopped calling him Ashoka the Fierce and started calling him Ashoka the Great. This lushly illustrated picture book cleverly alternates between dark and light palettes to reflect Ashoka’s transformation. The text is clear, straightforward, and compelling, emphasizing Ashoka’s humanity and fragility in child-friendly language. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A compelling treatment of the life of an important South Asian ruler and religious leader. (historical note) (Picture book/religion. 4-8)Pub Date: Dec. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-61180-854-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Bala Kids/Shambhala
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
A well-meaning but lackluster tribute.
Readers bid farewell to a beloved canine character.
Momo is—or was—an adorable and very photogenic border collie owned by author Knapp. The many readers who loved him in the previous half-dozen books are in for a shock with this one. “Momo had died” is the stark reality—and there are no photographs of him here. Instead, Momo has been replaced by a flat cartoonish pastiche with strange, staring round white eyes, inserted into some of Knapp’s photography (which remains appealing, insofar as it can be discerned under the mixed media). Previous books contained few or no words. Unfortunately, virtuosity behind a lens does not guarantee mastery of verse. The art here is accompanied by words that sometimes rhyme but never find a workable or predictable rhythm (“We’d fetch and we’d catch, / we’d run and we’d jump. Every day we found new / games to play”). It’s a pity, because the subject—a pet’s death—is an important one to address with children. Of course, Momo isn’t gone; he can still be found “everywhere” in memories. But alas, he can be found here only in the crude depictions of the darling dog so well known from the earlier books.
A well-meaning but lackluster tribute. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781683693864
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Quirk Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet and endearing feathered migration.
A relationship between a Latina grandmother and her mixed-race granddaughter serves as the frame to depict the ruby-throated hummingbird migration pattern.
In Granny’s lap, a girl is encouraged to “keep still” as the intergenerational pair awaits the ruby-throated hummingbirds with bowls of water in their hands. But like the granddaughter, the tz’unun—“the word for hummingbird in several [Latin American] languages”—must soon fly north. Over the next several double-page spreads, readers follow the ruby-throated hummingbird’s migration pattern from Central America and Mexico through the United States all the way to Canada. Davies metaphorically reunites the granddaughter and grandmother when “a visitor from Granny’s garden” crosses paths with the girl in New York City. Ray provides delicately hashed lines in the illustrations that bring the hummingbirds’ erratic flight pattern to life as they travel north. The watercolor palette is injected with vibrancy by the addition of gold ink, mirroring the hummingbirds’ flashing feathers in the slants of light. The story is supplemented by notes on different pages with facts about the birds such as their nest size, diet, and flight schedule. In addition, a note about ruby-throated hummingbirds supplies readers with detailed information on how ornithologists study and keep track of these birds.
A sweet and endearing feathered migration. (bibliography, index) (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: May 7, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0538-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
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