Ultimately, Corr delivers a handsomely packaged story that begs the questions, from where did it arise, and whom is it for?...
In this retelling of Chinese lunar calendar lore, the animals race to claim a spot in the zodiac.
To better measure time, the Jade Emperor announces a race in which the first 12 animals to finish “will each have a year named after them.” Antics ensue as the animals use their wits, kindness, and determination to compete. The illustrations, done in acrylic or gouache with solid strokes of color and layered patterns, are attractive, and there is a sophistication to how the primary palette colors are combined. But while the story is culturally Chinese, the artwork seems chiefly inspired by Oaxacan folk art. Some Asian influences can be seen—the compositions reference 16th-century illustrated manuscripts from the Indian Mughal period, and the flat rendering of perspective recalls Persian miniature painting. Despite the fact that these share Asian roots, there seems to be little in Chinese style or reference in the art. Whether that is needed for a Chinese folk story with folk art is debatable. However, the text at times is a bit rote and lacks the luster a strong emphasis on each animal’s traditional zodiac personality traits could have given.
Ultimately, Corr delivers a handsomely packaged story that begs the questions, from where did it arise, and whom is it for? (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 4, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-78603-065-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Review Posted Online: Sept. 30, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
Young children will enjoy this very basic introduction to a Jewish holiday celebration.
It’s a festive Passover Seder for two families.
“With fresh springtime flowers and once-a-year dishes, / Two candles stand straight / See our grand seder plate / At our table for this seder night.” A white father, black mother, and their two children join an all-white multigenerational family for the spring Jewish festival of Passover. The narrator, the young son of the hosting family, describes the cushions on the chairs, the wine/grape-juice glasses, the special foods, the water for washing hands and the water for dipping greens, the afikomen for hiding, and Elijah’s and Miriam’s cups for two very special guests. All this is related with the cheerful refrain: “At our table for this seder night.” Those who observe and those who are unfamiliar with the many steps of the Seder will enjoy the details tailored to a young audience—the family pets join in as the celebrants sing “Dayenu,” among other side business. Readers hoping for more background information on Elijah’s and Miriam’s cups will be disappointed, however. The digital illustrations are lively and spirited, featuring many smiling faces and kippot on the men and boys.
Young children will enjoy this very basic introduction to a Jewish holiday celebration. (author’s note, glossary) (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: March 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-8075-0446-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
A handsome, imaginative volume for Christmas bookshelves.
A poetic imagining of gifts from the Nativity animals to the newborn baby Jesus.
Gerber’s lilting rhymes reinterpret biblical text from the book of Luke, Chapter 2, verses 1-16 in the King James Version (reproduced in the back of the book). The frontmatter notes that they draw inspiration from “a 12th century Latin song, which became known in England as ‘The Animal Carol’ ”; within, the author imagines what the Nativity animals might have done to “prepare their stable for Christ’s birth.” She writes that an ox “drops straw into a manger bed.” Then “sheep tear loose bits of their wool / to make the bed feel soft and full.” Birds on the stable’s roof give feathers, which mice carry to the manger. A cow finds a blanket and adds it to the bed, too. Mary and Joseph appear with the baby, and the realistic-style illustrations depict the trio as olive-skinned with dark hair, and the shepherds have a similar appearance. The first angel to appear seems white, but the heavenly host singing in exaltation includes at least three angels of color (albeit ethereally washed-out). The book proper closes with shepherds and animals gathered around the Holy Family as they “all sing: ‘Glory to our newborn King!’ ” Shimokawara glories in textures, making the whorls in the animals’ fur and the folds in human characters’ robes seem touchable.
A handsome, imaginative volume for Christmas bookshelves. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-64170-159-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Familius
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2019
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