Children will enjoy this nostalgic look at a bygone era and learn profound lessons about cultural differences.
Mixed-heritage twins discuss what life was like when their parents were young in this nostalgic intergenerational conversation-starter by Mintz.
Five-year-old Chinese-Jewish twins Tory and Andy are preparing for a “Show and Share” presentation in their class. As they sort through family snapshots from when their parents were children, they discuss how their parents’ lives, though they played out against different cultural contexts, had many similarities (“They both went to language school on weekends”), and the siblings marvel over the differences in technology and entertainment between now and the 1980s and ’90s (“Back then, they had to go to a store and get big tapes to watch a machine called a VCR. And they had to take them back the next day”). Though both their mother and father come from different backgrounds, the ways in which their experiences as young people overlapped show young readers how arbitrary cultural difference is when stacked against shared values and customs. The book is an engaging read for children and a great opportunity for parents and children to discuss generational differences. Richter’s full-color illustrations depicting the snapshots that Tory and Andy sort through are interspersed with images of the twins preparing for their presentation, accompanying the text nicely. However, two minor issues affect the readability of the text: First, a joke about the pronunciation of the word “cartridges” clearly meant for parents may confuse younger readers without further context. Second, the dialogue doesn’t use quotation marks or any other signposts to indicate which twin is talking at different intervals throughout the book, making it hard to get a sense of the conversation. Ultimately, however, this is a warm, nostalgic story great for intergenerational bonding.
Children will enjoy this nostalgic look at a bygone era and learn profound lessons about cultural differences.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Oct. 24, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
The dynamic interaction between the characters invites readers to take risks, push boundaries, and have a little unscripted...
Reinvention is the name of the game for two blobs of clay.
A blue-eyed gray blob and a brown-eyed brown blob sit side by side, unsure as to what’s going to happen next. The gray anticipates an adventure, while the brown appears apprehensive. A pair of hands descends, and soon, amid a flurry of squishing and prodding and poking and sculpting, a handsome gray wolf and a stately brown owl emerge. The hands disappear, leaving the friends to their own devices. The owl is pleased, but the wolf convinces it that the best is yet to come. An ear pulled here and an extra eye placed there, and before you can shake a carving stick, a spurt of frenetic self-exploration—expressed as a tangled black scribble—reveals a succession of smug hybrid beasts. After all, the opportunity to become a “pig-e-phant” doesn’t come around every day. But the sound of approaching footsteps panics the pair of Picassos. How are they going to “fix [them]selves” on time? Soon a hippopotamus and peacock are staring bug-eyed at a returning pair of astonished hands. The creative naiveté of the “clay mates” is perfectly captured by Petty’s feisty, spot-on dialogue: “This was your idea…and it was a BAD one.” Eldridge’s endearing sculpted images are photographed against the stark white background of an artist’s work table to great effect.
The dynamic interaction between the characters invites readers to take risks, push boundaries, and have a little unscripted fun of their own . (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: June 20, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-316-30311-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader!
Fun with friends makes for a great day.
Norbit, a salmon-colored worm with a pink kerchief, joyfully greets the day and everyone he encounters. “Hello, friends! It’s time for fun with the sun! Let’s play!” He and his menagerie of forest pals—including the sun, who grows limbs and descends from the sky—exuberantly engage in various forms of physical activity such as jumping, going down a slide, spinning around, and watching the clouds go by. Young readers will readily relate, as these are games that most children are familiar with. As day turns to night, Norbit says farewell to Sun and welcomes Moon with an invitation to continue the fun. Watkins has created a vivid world of movement and merriment. Her illustrations feature bright bursts of color that match the energy of the text, with most sentences ending in an exclamation point. The author/illustrator incorporates many elements that make for an ideal early-reading experience (despite the use of a contraction or two): art free from clutter, text consisting of words with only one or two syllables, and repetition and recurring bits, such as a continued game of hide-and-seek with Sun. Inspired by never-before-seen sketches from the Dr. Seuss Collection archives at the University of California San Diego, this is the first title for Seuss Studios, a new imprint for original stories from “emerging authors and illustrators” who “honor Seuss’s hallmark spirit of creativity and imagination.”
Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader! (author's note) (Early reader. 5-8)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9780593646212
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Seuss Studios
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
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