The lessons Scrooge learned are still valuable and worthy of passing along to younger readers, who can meet these famous...
Gloomy old Scrooge glowers menacingly from the cover in this lavishly illustrated abridgement of the beloved Christmas story.
Evocative illustrations created with watercolor and digital media set the mood with endpapers presenting a panoramic view of sooty Victorian London. As the familiar story unfolds, the dark, brooding skies and smoky fog of city streets are juxtaposed with glowing, happy scenes of a long-ago party and the Cratchit family sitting down to Christmas Eve dinner. Scrooge exhibits a wide variety of emotions in his encounters with the four ghosts of the story, including quite scary apparitions of Marley and the black-robed Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Most illustrations are double-page spreads, with a few paragraphs of text integrated within the illustrations. The competent adaption retains some of the flavor of the original Dickens story while shortening it and simplifying its language. Unfortunately, Scrooge’s famous promise to honor Christmas in his heart is missing. With its extra-large trim size and compelling illustrations, this version would make a fine read-aloud for an elementary-age group or a useful introduction before attending the play. It is similar in size and artistic interpretation to the 2009 edition adapted by Josh Greenhut and illustrated by Brett Helquist.
The lessons Scrooge learned are still valuable and worthy of passing along to younger readers, who can meet these famous characters and learn the origin of the oft-quoted “Humbug!” (Picture book. 6-12)Pub Date: Oct. 20, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-553-51199-4
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2015
Charming, poignant, and thoughtfully woven.
An aspiring scientist and a budding artist become friends and help each other with dream projects.
Unfolding in mid-1980s Sacramento, California, this story stars 12-year-olds Rosalind and Benjamin as first-person narrators in alternating chapters. Ro’s father, a fellow space buff, was killed by a drunk driver; the rocket they were working on together lies unfinished in her closet. As for Benji, not only has his best friend, Amir, moved away, but the comic book holding the clue for locating his dad is also missing. Along with their profound personal losses, the protagonists share a fixation with the universe’s intriguing potential: Ro decides to complete the rocket and hopes to launch mementos of her father into outer space while Benji’s conviction that aliens and UFOs are real compels his imagination and creativity as an artist. An accident in science class triggers a chain of events forcing Benji and Ro, who is new to the school, to interact and unintentionally learn each other’s secrets. They resolve to find Benji’s dad—a famous comic-book artist—and partner to finish Ro’s rocket for the science fair. Together, they overcome technical, scheduling, and geographical challenges. Readers will be drawn in by amusing and fantastical elements in the comic book theme, high emotional stakes that arouse sympathy, and well-drawn character development as the protagonists navigate life lessons around grief, patience, self-advocacy, and standing up for others. Ro is biracial (Chinese/White); Benji is White.
Charming, poignant, and thoughtfully woven. (Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Jan. 12, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-300888-5
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
A strong second outing for Dillard and J.D.
Breakout kid barber J.D. embraces a summer of opportunity.
Readers met J.D. Jones just as he took his hometown of Meridian, Mississippi, by storm, winning himself community acclaim and a chair at the revered Hart and Sons barbershop in series opener J.D. and the Great Barber Battle(2021). What’s next for the haircut prodigy? School’s just getting out, and there’s so much life happening outside—if only one can escape home learning with the grandparents. J.D.’s sister, Vanessa, brings along multitalented mutual friend Jessyka to share an ambitious challenge: “Let’s start a YouTube channel!” Can they get millions of views and wow the whole world? They are already amazing at haircuts and hairstyles—all they need is to learn how to make a great YouTube video. The story models strategies for scripting short videos reflecting the templates of viral YouTube hair tutorials, inviting readers to not only see the journey of the characters, but maybe also practice these skills at home. This book is bound to educate all about some of the most storied and cherished traditions within the Black community. Bringing in Vanessa is a great touch to extend the series across gender, and hopefully she’ll get a chance to lead her own adventures. This book blends skill-building, entrepreneurship, and strong family values to give young Black children visions of what’s possible when they follow their passions and embrace their community.
A strong second outing for Dillard and J.D. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-11155-0
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Kokila
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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