From France via New Zealand, a surreal or, perhaps, metaphorical journey, rich in surprises.
A young traveler’s red suitcase holds all sorts of useful items, including treasures found along the way.
Placing images on multiple descending or overlapping layers of large, shaped flaps to enhance the ongoing thrill of discovery, Perrin invites viewers to flip through the seemingly random contents of a White, russet-haired lad’s suitcase, then follow along as he travels over land and sea past a series of houses strangely similar to his own. A simple memory game ensues. Are the mountains cold? There’s a sweater in the luggage. What’s inside that cage? Open it with the key under the sweater. It’s a mouthwatering cake! Eat it or take it along? Into the suitcase it goes, and later it becomes just the thing to distract a scary monster in a dark forest. Behind further doors, a diamond begs to be snatched up and a magic seed to be planted. Occasional glimpses of a smiling snail, a fish floating in midair, or some other small onlooker enhance the surreal feel of the neatly drawn, harmoniously tinted illustrations. By journey’s end, what’s left in the suitcase? Lift the flap…and there’s nothing inside—nothing but intangible experiences and memories, that is. Footloose readers will come away understanding that packing is not an exact science, and it’s always wise to leave a little room in the suitcase.
From France via New Zealand, a surreal or, perhaps, metaphorical journey, rich in surprises. (Picture book/novelty. 6-8)Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-776573-43-1
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Gecko Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Not the subtlest book, but girls who love fairies won’t care.
Fairy Rosy Bell strikes up a forbidden friendship with a human child.
In August, the Summer People—human vacationers—arrive at their vacation cottages on Sheepskerry Island. They bring loud noises, trample fairy gardens and are dangerous; when humans discover fairies, they chase them off and leave them homeless. Rosy intends to follow the rules and avoid the Summer People, but then she overhears an injured little girl’s parents hoping the island’s magic will cheer up their daughter. Overwhelmed by compassion, Rosy sneaks into Lulu’s room to tidy up, accidentally wakes up Lulu and is spotted. The two strike up a hidden friendship, meeting and passing notes in secret. Lulu is a Peter Pan fan who loves hearing about Rosy’s big sister Tinker Bell, and in return, she shares her grandmother’s stories about visiting the island back when fairies played with Summer Children. But Lulu, not content to be a secret, wants to meet the rest of the Fairy Bell sisters. When a big storm rolls in, Rosy must confess her friendship and enlist the other fairies to help her rescue Lulu, who is on the beach and has lost a crutch. In return, Lulu has the Summer Children help rebuild the fairy homes destroyed by the storm. The story’s sweetness is tempered by the friendship’s secrecy.
Not the subtlest book, but girls who love fairies won’t care. (how to make a fairy house, glossary of baby Squeak’s language) (Fantasy. 6-8)Pub Date: April 23, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-06-222805-5
Page Count: 115
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 26, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2013
An extra helping for those readers who haven’t had their fill of the general premise.
More edible precipitation—falling not on the town of Chewandswallow this time, but Mars, and timed to whet appetites for the second iteration of the film version of the franchise.
Grandpa falls asleep in his chair following news reports of astronauts greeted by a shower of goo on the red planet and dreams of being there himself, helping the green-skinned residents cope with barrages of falling pies. They’re all the fruit-filled sort in Monés’ illustrations, which are closely modeled on Ron Barrett’s work in the previous two Cloudy episodes and sandwich color views of Martian cities and citizens between earthly scenes in crosshatched black and white. The story goes on a little too long and ends in a muddle—the goo turns out to be ordinary Martian rain, but the pie Grandpa serves to his grandchildren in the final scene comes from an interplanetary shipping carton that is somehow translated into reality from his dream solution of exporting fallen pies to Earth. Nevertheless, the showers of crust and fruit filling look delectable, and the illustrator tucks in plenty of amusing side business and sight gags.
An extra helping for those readers who haven’t had their fill of the general premise. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Aug. 27, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4424-9027-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: June 7, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
