A sentimental Stone Age saga.
A prehistoric girl saves the day with courage and kindness.
Stone, who appears to live during the Stone Age, lives in a small mountain village amid bison, elk, and mastodons. She and her father are close, and when he becomes ill, she knows she is the only “willing warrior” to take the arduous journey to secure the cure for him, which is guarded by vicious bears. Since her father taught her to be fierce and strong, she knows she can do it. When she encounters a huge, horned beast, she scares it with a brave, loud cry but then decides to comfort and befriend it. The two journey to where the cure lies, and when Stone responds with kindness to the ferocious bears, they become friends: “Kindness made Stone…as strong as stone.” The book possesses the emotional formula of a typical animated Disney film with its focus on the father-daughter relationship; its dramatic tableaux with modulations in light that support the book’s emotional undercurrents (Stone picks the healing flower by a setting sun with her new bear BFF by her side); earnest characters and emotionally anthropomorphized creatures (the girl and the beast laugh and play together, and a bear altogether dismisses the idea of the food chain when Stone hugs it); and its emphasis on a moral takeaway. A happy father-daughter reunion wraps up the tale. All human characters have light-brown skin and straight, darker brown hair. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 75.6% of actual size.)
A sentimental Stone Age saga. (Picture book. 4-9)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-20466-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn.
A young owl achieves his grand ambition.
Owl, an adorably earnest and gallant little owlet, dreams of being a knight. He imagines himself defeating dragons and winning favor far and wide through his brave exploits. When a record number of knights go missing, Owl applies to Knight School and is surprisingly accepted. He is much smaller than the other knights-in-training, struggles to wield weapons, and has “a habit of nodding off during the day.” Nevertheless, he graduates and is assigned to the Knight Night Watch. While patrolling the castle walls one night, a hungry dragon shows up and Owl must use his wits to avoid meeting a terrible end. The result is both humorous and heartwarming, offering an affirmation of courage and clear thinking no matter one’s size…and demonstrating the power of a midnight snack. The story never directly addresses the question of the missing knights, but it is hinted that they became the dragon’s fodder, leaving readers to question Owl’s decision to befriend the beast. Humor is supplied by the characters’ facial expressions and accented by the fact that Owl is the only animal in his order of big, burly human knights. Denise’s accomplished digital illustrations—many of which are full bleeds—often use a warm sepia palette that evokes a feeling of antiquity, and some spreads feature a pleasing play of chiaroscuro that creates suspense and drama.
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-316-31062-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2022
Gently models kindness and respect—positive behavior that can be applied daily.
A group of young “dinosauruses” go out into the world on their own.
A fuchsia little Hugasaurus and her Pappysaur (both of whom resemble Triceratops) have never been apart before, but Hugasaurus happily heads off with lunchbox in hand and “wonder in her heart” to make new friends. The story has a first-day-of-school feeling, but Hugasaurus doesn’t end up in a formal school environment; rather, she finds herself on a playground with other little prehistoric creatures, though no teacher or adult seems to be around. At first, the new friends laugh and play. But Hugasaurus’ pals begin to squabble, and play comes to a halt. As she wonders what to do, a fuzzy platypus playmate asks some wise questions (“What…would your Pappy say to do? / What makes YOU feel better?”), and Hugasaurus decides to give everyone a hug—though she remembers to ask permission first. Slowly, good humor is restored and play begins anew with promises to be slow to anger and, in general, to help create a kinder world. Short rhyming verses occasionally use near rhyme but also include fun pairs like ripples and double-triples. Featuring cozy illustrations of brightly colored creatures, the tale sends a strong message about appropriate and inappropriate ways to resolve conflict, the final pages restating the lesson plainly in a refrain that could become a classroom motto. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Gently models kindness and respect—positive behavior that can be applied daily. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Dec. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-338-82869-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
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