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GRANDPARENTS

Name: GRANDPARENTS
Author: Chema Heras
ISBN: 978-1-77164-566-9

by Chema Heras ; illustrated by Rosa Osuna ; translated by Elisa Amado ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 5, 2020

Fun and feisty—these memorable characters are a delight to know and revisit.

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In a refreshing departure from the norm, this Spanish import focuses on the grandparents’ relationship with each other, not with a child protagonist.

Balding Manuel is working in the garden when a passing car announces a dance with the “best musicians in the country.” A call and response between the elders ensues after Manuela insists she is not going—but starts attending to her appearance anyway. Each time Grandfather inquires about her preparations, she bemoans her looks: “I’m going to put mascara on my eyelashes. They are as stubby as a little fly’s feet.” He counters her, asserting that they are like “new-mown grass.” Manuel’s loving if not always romantic similes build cumulatively, inviting reader participation. Wobbly ink outlines suggest a tender fragility to these characters; light gray backgrounds create their skin tones. Color and humor abound in these compositions due to the playfulness of the onlooking farm creatures and the hilarious visual interpretations of the snappy narrative. Looking in the mirror, Manuela thinks she is “as ugly as a chicken with no feathers”; an inverted image depicts just that. The design is varied and sophisticated yet caters to a child’s naïve sensibilities, as when a tree grows horizontally out of the field. Ultimately, the only change to Grandmother’s appearance is Grandfather’s flower behind her ear; the two dance and flirt in the moonlight as intimate scenes from their past surround them.

Fun and feisty—these memorable characters are a delight to know and revisit. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: May 5, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-77164-566-9

Page Count: 36

Publisher: Aldana Libros/Greystone Kids

Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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THE MOST MAGNIFICENT THING

by Ashley Spires ; illustrated by Ashley Spires ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2014

Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle...

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Making things is difficult work. Readers will recognize the stages of this young heroine’s experience as she struggles to realize her vision.

First comes anticipation. The artist/engineer is spotted jauntily pulling a wagonload of junkyard treasures. Accompanied by her trusty canine companion, she begins drawing plans and building an assemblage. The narration has a breezy tone: “[S]he makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!” The colorful caricatures and creations contrast with the digital black outlines on a white background that depict an urban neighborhood. Intermittent blue-gray panels break up the white expanses on selected pages showing sequential actions. When the first piece doesn’t turn out as desired, the protagonist tries again, hoping to achieve magnificence. A model of persistence, she tries many adjustments; the vocabulary alone offers constructive behaviors: she “tinkers,” “wrenches,” “fiddles,” “examines,” “stares” and “tweaks.” Such hard work, however, combines with disappointing results, eventually leading to frustration, anger and injury. Explosive emotions are followed by defeat, portrayed with a small font and scaled-down figures. When the dog, whose expressions have humorously mirrored his owner’s through each phase, retrieves his leash, the resulting stroll serves them well. A fresh perspective brings renewed enthusiasm and—spoiler alert—a most magnificent scooter sidecar for a loyal assistant.

Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle characterization for maximum delight. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: April 1, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-55453-704-4

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Kids Can

Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2014

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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developed by Ashley Spires ; adapted by Naseem Hrab ; illustrated by Mike Shiell

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)