A far too easily resolved tale of sisterly woes.
Fairy siblings spar but eventually make up.
Though they were born inside a single flower, brown-skinned sisters Piper and Nissa are as different as can be. Piper is active, ebullient, and loud; Nissa is quiet, artistic, and introverted. Nissa makes dainty dresses and collects mineral gems; Piper chases fireflies. When Piper politely asks to borrow some of Nissa’s things, Nissa hesitates but duly concludes that “fairies should always share.” Belatedly she discovers that Piper has made a mess out of Nissa’s belongings—including her favorite book. An unseen narrator repeatedly stresses that “fairies never fight,” but nevertheless a brawl breaks out as others watch, appalled. After “tiny tempers cool,” Piper makes a new book (apparently not in her prior dribbly drip-painting style) showing the siblings “doing all their favorite activities, together and separately” and presents it to Nissa. It seems that fairies don’t say sorry…and that a beloved book can simply be replaced by a different one. Words like harmony, tranquility, and tousled might need explanation. The hard black outlines that edge the flowers, leaves, trees, birds, and fairies are somewhat at odds with the delicate subjects. All the fairies have full arms and hands but stick legs and feet; most wear dresses and have brown skin (one is lighter-skinned). The psychedelic pink and purple colors are strident, and the tiny typeface rules out reading to a group. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A far too easily resolved tale of sisterly woes. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9781510775763
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Review Posted Online: March 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2023
A wandering effort, happy but pointless.
The perfect book for kids who love dragons and mild tacos.
Rubin’s story starts with an incantatory edge: “Hey, kid! Did you know that dragons love tacos? They love beef tacos and chicken tacos. They love really big gigantic tacos and tiny little baby tacos as well.” The playing field is set: dragons, tacos. As a pairing, they are fairly silly, and when the kicker comes in—that dragons hate spicy salsa, which ignites their inner fireworks—the silliness is sillier still. Second nature, after all, is for dragons to blow flames out their noses. So when the kid throws a taco party for the dragons, it seems a weak device that the clearly labeled “totally mild” salsa comes with spicy jalapenos in the fine print, prompting the dragons to burn down the house, resulting in a barn-raising at which more tacos are served. Harmless, but if there is a parable hidden in the dragon-taco tale, it is hidden in the unlit deep, and as a measure of lunacy, bridled or unbridled, it doesn’t make the leap into the outer reaches of imagination. Salmieri’s artwork is fitting, with a crabbed, ethereal line work reminiscent of Peter Sís, but the story does not offer it enough range.
A wandering effort, happy but pointless. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3680-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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