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
Sure to have little ones giggling.
Jacques is a hedgehog with a big secret: “I wear real, bona fide underwear.”
Our narrator received a mysterious package one day; an illustration shows a pair of underwear tied to a balloon with a note “from the Universe” floating down into Jacques’ burrow. Hedgehogs don’t wear underwear, however. Will Jacques be shunned? Jacques worries but comes to a decision: “I have to wear them. When I do I feel special.” Determined, Jacques, who’s been invited to a party, makes a dramatic entrance, with undies in hand. Jacques’ declaration (“I WEAR UNDERWEAR”) is met with remarks of dismay, before another hedgehog opens up about similar fears and shows off a pair of cowboy boots. More hedgehogs introduce themselves with their own confessions. The story ends with Jacques unveiling a painting of the underwear in a gallery filled with hedgehogs wearing all sorts of attire. Though the book is simple in plot, characters, and setting, it wins in its balance of bathroom humor, dramatic storytelling, and celebrations of individual expression. French words are peppered throughout, adding to the fun without detracting from the story for those unfamiliar with the language. The cartoonish illustrations brim with fun; Valdez relies heavily on geometric shapes (triangle noses for the hedgehogs; huge circles for their eyes). Details such as speech bubbles and recurring turtle and snake characters contribute to the outlandish humor.
Sure to have little ones giggling. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781250814388
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
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