An informative abecedarian tour of the animal world but not one well suited for early emergent readers.
A zoological introduction to the letters of the English alphabet.
Rhyming text, interesting animal facts, and lesser-known global wildlife come together in this letter recognition primer. Using the traditional, familiar “A is for…, B is for…” pattern, the text introduces readers to the axolotl, binturong, colugo, dumbo octopus, and more, ending with “Z is for the Zebra Duiker.” Each entry includes two short, intriguing tidbits about the animal’s behavior, physical characteristics, or country of origin. Readers will learn that the fossa lives in Madagascar, the gerenuk eats standing up, and the pangolin is covered in keratin scales. To provide children with reference points, Macorol mentions some of the animals’ better-known relatives—the okapi is kin to the giraffe, the hyrax is “cousin to elephants and manatees,” etc. The creatures are shown in their various natural habitats, and a map of the world at the beginning of the book reveals the continent on which each critter is found. Large, thick, uppercase alphabet letters in different colors allow for tracing and easy visual processing of letter shapes. Much of the vocabulary will be unfamiliar to children; this, coupled with challenging words like monotreme and retractable, makes the book best suited for independent readers looking to stretch their skills. Although the rhymes sometime struggle for scansion, Macorol’s roundup of unusual fauna is engaging. The bold, multitextured digital illustrations often depict the animals gazing quietly at the reader, inviting us into their fascinating worlds.
An informative abecedarian tour of the animal world but not one well suited for early emergent readers. (Informational picture book. 6-9)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-250-10810-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2022
Pretty but unexceptional considering the many comparable versions, conventional and otherwise, available.
A plainspoken retelling of the classic tale with dreamy illustrations.
In an uncredited translation from Dutch, Leysen pairs a shortened and lightly massaged retelling of the LePrince de Beaumont version to diaphanous views of Belle—a strawberry-blonde white waif with exaggeratedly wide-set eyes over a rosebud mouth—and a well-groomed, goat-headed Beast who looks more vulnerable than fearsome. Hearing her father’s tale (complete with the Beast’s “Alright! I’ll let you live, on one condition…”), Belle rides off to durance far-from-vile, where she resists the Beast’s nightly proposals. When lonely Belle goes home to visit, she is drugged by her “lazy and insufferable” sister (there’s just one in this version), dreams of Beast’s decline, and wakes up “bathed in sweat” to hie back to the castle and declare her love. Next day at the wedding her sister is transformed by the fairy who had earlier transformed the Beast into a statue until “a kind prince would come by to melt her heart.” Belle’s bed in the pictures is different than the one described in the narrative, and occasional monochrome drawings serve no evident purpose except to make the suite of languid illustrations look unfinished.
Pretty but unexceptional considering the many comparable versions, conventional and otherwise, available. (Picture book/fairy tale. 7-9)Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-60537-251-8
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Clavis
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
For ballerinas in training and in spirit.
Tracing a line directly from Wilkinson to Misty Copeland, Schubert highlights racism and prejudice in America and in ballet as well as the recent breaking of one barrier.
Wilkinson, born in 1935 to an upper-class African-American family in New York City, fell in love with classical ballet at an early age and was determined to dance. She was invited to join the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo at the age of 20. Unfortunately, touring through America’s Southern states brought danger, threats, forced segregation, and ugly encounters with the Ku Klux Klan. She left ballet briefly, then danced in Europe, before finally returning to America for a long career with the New York City Opera. Misty Copeland, recently promoted to principal ballerina at the American Ballet Theatre—its first African-American—credits Wilkinson as a mentor in the book’s final scene. A color photograph of the two women after Copeland’s debut performance in Swan Lake is a beautiful inspiration to young ballerinas of color. Schubert’s research included an interview with Wilkinson, quotations from which allow her to speak to readers with her own voice. Taylor’s digitized artwork depicts scenes from the rehearsal studio and the stage along with ugly episodes of Klan activity. His people are expressive, but their firm, black outlines and flat, solid coloring cause them to lack the delicacy associated with this ethereal art form.
For ballerinas in training and in spirit. (foreword, afterword, author’s note, ballet terms, partial bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 6-9)Pub Date: Jan. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0592-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 15, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2017
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