A pretty unsympathetic view of a growing and worrisome phenomenon.
A family of polar bears searches for a home.
As bear cubs Masha and Misha walk on hind legs, and their similarly upright Papa and Mama wear jewelry and other occasional items of dress, it’s easy to see them as climate change refugees—and indeed, it’s lack of food that prompts Papa’s announcement that it’s time to move. First stop: a trove of dumpsters. From there it’s on to some rooms in the oddly “square icebergs,” where everything is, as Mama puts it, “just right.” Oleynikov picks up the jocular tone nicely as he depicts the furry foursome making themselves cozy while ransacking a hastily abandoned apartment and (failing to notice fleeing light-skinned human figures) wondering where everyone has gone. Then, when at last loneliness and a general lack of substantial prey prompt thoughts of searching for a better home, glimpses on TV of Antarctic seals and penguins (“And what are those little black things?” “I don’t know….But they look tasty”) lead the ursine clan to continue on, carrying dolls, blankets, and other loot from the wreckage. Though the bears are the victims of global warming, they’re portrayed as clueless agents of destruction; it’s hard to tell whether this tongue-in-cheek tale, originally published in Chinese, is deliberately meant to leave readers with mixed feelings or is just tone-deaf. In either case the themes should inspire some discussion, and the spectacular messes on display in the pictures will invite a chuckle or two. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A pretty unsympathetic view of a growing and worrisome phenomenon. (Picture book. 6-9)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2023
ISBN: 9781771649810
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Greystone Kids
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.
Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
© Copyright 2026 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.
