Admirably imaginative.
What if that new kid in the park is not a boy at all? What if….
Even though Mom always tells the young narrator not to talk to strangers, when they go to the park together, she encourages her child to say hello to various random people. “That lady over there…with only pigeons to talk to” looks very friendly. And that little boy with the pail and shovel seems “perfectly safe.” Her child is not so sure. What if the boy is a “MONSTER in disguise?” Maybe there’s a secret cave under the sand where this boy/monster has lured many children. The captured children tend the monster’s “pet moles, and clean his floor, and comb his fur, and cook his horrible, slimy dinner.” An escape plan forms: The children dig a tunnel to safety. But what if they emerge in a panther’s cage? Maybe the panther won’t like the taste of humans, and they can help her escape, as well. When they get back home, their parents will be so happy to see them they’ll let them stay home from school and never make them talk to strangers again. Beauvais’ twisty tale, translated from French and substantial for a picture book, is well-matched by Shearring’s busy and colorful illustrations. The narrator is depicted as white, and the monster’s other hypothetical victims are a diverse bunch. Children will love the details of the monster’s underground lair.
Admirably imaginative. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-500-65170-4
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Review Posted Online: July 31, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
A winner of an early reader.
Channeling the can-do attitude of a certain little engine, Lewin’s alligator comes out on top with some help from his friend and despite the bullying of another gator.
Limited, repetitive text invites new readers to adopt the same spirit of determination about reading that the protagonist alligator does about swimming when he confidently tells his friend, “I can win” after they spy a sign reading “Big Race Sunday” posted on a tree. His self-assurance is challenged by a bigger, scowling alligator wearing a red cap, who snarls, “No, you can’t.” Bickering leads to the bully shoving the littler gator, and then a spread showing the friend (who wears a pink bow on her head to distinguish her from the others), who says, “Yes, you can.” She encourages her friend as he practices for the race even while the antagonist continues to say “CANNOT,” and our hero perseveres. When the day of the big race arrives, the good guy does finish first, rejoicing, “I did it!” dripping wet and wearing his first-place medal, while his proud friend looks on. Throughout, Lewin’s restrained watercolor-and-ink artwork matches the control of the text, providing ample, white resting space for the eyes while delivering engaging and expressive characters. Subtle shifts in the placement of speech balloons provide humor while helping children decode.
A winner of an early reader. (Early reader. 5-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-8234-2522-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Feb. 26, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An inspiring and disquieting testament to the value of education, which costs some a lot more.
Shaka is determined to find a safe way to get to school for all the kids in his Xhosa community.
Shaka and his little sister, Nandi, were lucky that their father could walk them to school every day, but unfortunately, a work opportunity in a mine far away means their dad will be unavailable for the foreseeable future. The danger of going alone is illustrated by shadowy figures hiding beneath a key bridge along their path, but co-author Friedland’s note and an afterword from Julian Lennon, founder of the White Feather Foundation, emphasize serious unspoken threats faced by children, “girls in particular,” throughout the world from India to Uganda. Importantly, Shaka and Nandi’s rural South African village is depicted as brightly communal and as loving as the supportive Mama who assures the brainstorming siblings that they “will find another way.” A toy school bus they find one day offers the inspiration Shaka needs to adopt a privilege some schoolchildren may take for granted into a savvy collective effort to support the uniquely vulnerable but undeniably eager students of the village. Colorful illustrations offer detailed visuals of the planning and execution of the walking school bus, culminating in a heartwarming full-page spread of the brown-skinned, uniform-wearing kids traveling safely and bravely as a cohesive unit toward their school. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An inspiring and disquieting testament to the value of education, which costs some a lot more. (note from Mandela) (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Aug. 29, 2023
ISBN: 9781771644693
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Greystone Kids
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
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