by Carrie Clickard & illustrated by Mark Meyers ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2012
Though swelly seas occasionally threaten, overall, it's smooth-enough sailing here.
Ahoy, mateys; there's one determined young girl aboard this pirate ship.
Victricia Malicia Calamity Barrett comes from a long line of pillagers. Her mother commands the crew, and her father cooks the grub. “Vic,” however, prefers butterfly tattoos and reading. Her inefficiency at basic buccaneering tasks brings unexpected results when a threatening sea serpent appears on deck. Victricia's gumption, her poorly tied lines, and a skull-and-bones towel save her boisterous clan. Her future is clear: The end finds her the proprietor of a bookstore on shore. Her relatives finally support her ambitions, and they spend their time with their noses buried in some books. Vic's personality shines through; the sign on the shop's front door reads “No Pillaging or Plundering Books.” Upbeat rhymes bounce along as Victricia follows her own path. There's some strain felt in the rhyme and scansion. “Her shirt—sewn by hand— / shouted ‘I LOVE DRY LAND.’ / Her landlubber thinking was quite problematic, / Aye, V.M.C. Barrett was most un-piratic.” Mariners will grind their teeth at liberties taken with sailing lingo. Acrylic-and–mixed-media scenes emphasize slapstick and comical expressions to downgrade the pirates' plundering to a benign, lively romp.
Though swelly seas occasionally threaten, overall, it's smooth-enough sailing here. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: June 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-936261-12-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Flashlight Press
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2012
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by Carrie Clickard ; illustrated by Nancy Carpenter
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by Hoda Kotb ; illustrated by Chloe Dominique ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 5, 2024
Pleasant enough but not particularly original.
Uplifting messages of positivity from the Today show anchor.
Hope springs eternal, so the saying goes. Kotb agrees, here delivering to children the cheery news that hope lives inside all of them and that whatever they might wish for can be theirs. All they need is a sunny outlook, and the possibilities for happy outcomes are virtually endless. Children’s dreams can be in-the-moment ones—like purple ice cream with whipped cream and a cherry—or more far-ranging ones, such as growing tall enough to reach that high shelf easily or for hair that’s long enough to braid. It doesn’t matter, the author reassures young readers. Your aspirations will be realized, so don’t give up on them—just keep believing in them and, most of all, in yourself. Throughout, Kotb calls hope a rainbow, a feeling, a gift, and a wish. Hope is “new friends you’ll find— / friends who are loving and funny and kind.” Hope is “practicing your heart out, letter by letter.” The book’s overarching theme is upbeat, but its bouncy rhyming text is clumsy. The child-appealing illustrations are colorful and lively, though they have a generic look. The cast of wide-eyed characters is racially diverse; some have visible disabilities.
Pleasant enough but not particularly original. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9780593624128
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Flamingo Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 16, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2024
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by Hoda Kotb ; illustrated by Suzie Mason
by Phil Rosenthal & Lily Rosenthal ; illustrated by Luke Flowers ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2024
Amusing but misleading on the nutritional and behavioral fronts.
With one taste of despised mustard, a child pivots from rejecting new foods to seeking them.
Dad takes Lil to a food truck festival. Lil, who narrates the story, is nervous; this child’s list of acceptable foods is short (pizza, rice, grilled cheese, french fries, and vanilla ice cream). Dad loves varied tastes and repeatedly reminds Lil of his rule: “Just try it!” With a “YECCCH!” or an “EWWWWWW!” Lil refuses a bagel loaded with toppings, linguini with clams, Peking duck, pizza with spinach and garlic, and a pretzel covered with Lil’s most hated of foods: mustard. Frustrated, Lil accidentally knocks the pretzel onto Dad’s shirt. Lil apologizes, takes a lick of mustard…and instantly learns to appreciate every rejected offering. Lil then uses the title mantra to pressure Dad onto a nausea-inducing roller-coaster ride. Bright, cartoon-style illustrations emphasize the pair's upbeat mood. Food neophobia, or an aversion to eating anything novel, has complex psychosocial roots. But in this blithe little fable, the child’s resistance is completely overcome with a single accidental exposure, and the formerly picky eater immediately becomes a novelty seeker. The turnaround here is implausible; if this book creates any expectations of a sudden dramatic change in a child’s behavior, that would be a disservice. Both Dad and Lil are light-skinned.
Amusing but misleading on the nutritional and behavioral fronts. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781665942638
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2023
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