This slim, sweet story will resonate particularly with children missing a previous home.
Adopted from Ethiopia, where water is precious and obtained from distant water holes, Eva Alemitu finds a connection with her homeland in sunshine and puddles in her new home.
Eva recalls her early childhood in the Ethiopian countryside, burnished in oil-paint and mixed-media illustrations that emphasize the browns of the land and the blues of the sky. But both text and pictures offer reason to leave: A growling beast of a cloud follows the child and her mother on their daily trek for wood and water; a lion roars in her empty stomach, too. Sadly, the child’s mother sends her away to a new home and new family. Life is different in this country: Water comes from a tap; she goes to school, wears shoes most of the time and eats regularly. Even the animals are different. Velasquez’s paintings depict the Ieronimo family, and the story has its roots in the author’s experience. A short endnote describes issues of clean water and poverty in Ethiopia and connects readers to organizations that offer help. Pair with Beatrice Hollyer’s Our World of Water (2009) to broaden the scope of children’s understanding of the need for clean, safe water around the world.
This slim, sweet story will resonate particularly with children missing a previous home. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: May 20, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-8027-2307-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Walker
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2014
An effective early chapter book conveyed in a slightly overdone gag.
Epistolary dispatches from the eternal canine/feline feud.
Simon the cat is angry. He had done a good job taking care of his boy, Andy, but now that Andy’s parents are divorced, a dog named Baxter has moved into Andy’s dad’s house. Simon believes that there isn’t enough room in Andy’s life for two furry friends, so he uses the power of the pen to get Baxter to move out. Inventively for the early-chapter-book format, the story is told in letters written back and forth; Simon’s are impeccably spelled on personalized stationery while Baxter’s spelling slowly improves through the letters he scrawls on scraps of paper. A few other animals make appearances—a puffy-lipped goldfish who for some reason punctuates her letter with “Blub…blub…” seems to be the only female character (cued through stereotypical use of eyelashes and red lipstick), and a mustachioed snail ferries the mail to and fro. White-appearing Andy is seen playing with both animals as a visual background to the text, as is his friend Noah (a dark-skinned child who perhaps should not be nicknamed “N Man”). Cat lovers will appreciate Simon’s prickliness while dog aficionados will likely enjoy Baxter’s obtuse enthusiasm, and all readers will learn about the time and patience it takes to overcome conflict and jealousy with someone you dislike.
An effective early chapter book conveyed in a slightly overdone gag. (Fiction. 6-8)Pub Date: May 12, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4492-2
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Heartfelt content for children who need to feel seen.
Words addressed to children aimed at truth-telling, encouraging, and inspiring are accompanied by pictures of children of color going about their days.
“This story is about you,” the narrator opens, as a black boy looks up toward readers, a listening expression on his face. A multiracial group of children romp in a playground to encouraging words: “you are… / a dancer / a singer / in charge of the game.” Then comes a warning about the “whispers” out in the world that “tell you who you are / But only you and love decide.” There is advice about what to do when you “think there is nowhere safe”: “Watch a bird soar / and think, / Me too.” It asks readers to wonder: “If there was a sign on your chest / what would it say?” Children argue and show frustration and anger for reasons unclear to readers, then they hold up signs about themselves, such as “I am powerful” and “I am talented.” A girl looks hurt, and a boy looks “tough” until someone finds them “sitting there wondering / when the sky will blue.” While the words are general, the pictures specify a teacher, who is brown-skinned with straight black hair, as one who “can see you.” While young readers may find the wording unusual, even obscure in places, the nurturing message will not be lost.
Heartfelt content for children who need to feel seen. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68446-021-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
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