A timeless message with modern meaning to spare.
Children and adults have wildly different reactions to a magical woman’s gift.
The rumors are true. In a small village, a woman named Nanty Solo arrives, claiming to be able to turn children into birds. The adults call it “balderdash” but warn their kids away from Nanty Solo anyway. Young Dorothy Carr (pale-skinned with dark hair) is the first to disobey and swoops “into the blue” as a swallow for a few minutes before turning back into a girl. As Nanty Solo whispers the words, “Go on. Be happy. Up you go,” more children become birds until the grown-ups tell Nanty Solo to leave. She agrees but asks, “But what on earth are you frightened of?” The grown-ups fly last of all and have a marvelous time as Nanty Solo leaves to visit more towns. With the cadence of a fable, the book revels in the deliciousness of language. Adults don’t merely dismiss the magic woman but call her work “claptrap, tommyrot, piffle, bunkum!” Lisssome mixed-media art expertly showcases children of various skin tones transforming and leaving the world behind; Nanty Solo has skin the color of the page. And if the lesson of overcoming fear and letting children soar may be missed by some, it has all the hallmarks of a book destined to become a family favorite for others. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A timeless message with modern meaning to spare. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5362-1996-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick Studio
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school...
The familiar theme of the challenges facing a new kid in town is given an original treatment by photographer Border in this book of photos of three-dimensional objects in a simple modeled landscape.
Peanut Butter is represented by a slice of white bread spread with the popular condiment. The other characters in the story—a hamburger with a pair of hot dogs in tow, a bowl of alphabet soup, a meatball jumping a rope of spaghetti, a carton of French fries and a pink cupcake—are represented by skillfully crafted models of these foods, anthropomorphized using simple wire construction. Rejected by each character in turn in his search for playmates, Peanut Butter discovers in the end that Jelly is his true match (not Cupcake, as the title suggests), perhaps because she is the only one who looks like him, being a slice of white bread spread with jelly. The friendly foods end up happily playing soccer together. Some parents may have trouble with the unabashedly happy depiction of carbs and American junk food (no carrots or celery sticks in this landscape), and others may find themselves troubled by the implication that friendship across difference is impossible.
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school experiences. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 29, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-399-16773-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
© Copyright 2025 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.
