A lovely message about differences for children that falls just short of its potential.
Kasarda’s picture book about a half-fish, half-lion cub addresses physical limitations and differences, and how to find a place in a world that doesn’t seem to fit.
Leeo the lionfish—not an actual lionfish, but the miraculous offspring of a lion and a catfish who fell in love—has the upper body of a lion and the lower body of a fish. In endearing, gentle artwork, Kasarda shows the love both parents have for their mismatched child. The front paws and lungs make Leeo different from his fish cousins. He gets teased for having to breathe through a tube when going to fish school, but, in a scene that provides a good reminder for children to stand up for those being teased, his cousin defends him to the other fish, saying that he’s clever for figuring out how to breathe beneath the surface. Leeo’s limitations aren’t restricted to the ocean, however, as his fish tail makes it impossible for him to run on the beach with his lion cousins. His loving family doesn’t see the fins as a limitation, and they fashion a wheelchair that allows Leeo to wheel along with them. The vividness of the wheelchair image conveys the author’s message with great clarity: Physical limitations shouldn’t make a child feel ostracized. The muted watercolors soften the tone, allowing the lesson to feel natural, not heavy-handed. When a storm strikes, endangering both his fish and lion cousins, Leeo shows versatility and quick thinking that enable him to save both groups, with the entire sea and land communities rallying behind him. In the important and empowering lesson for children, it’s heartwarming to see this “different” child fit in after his challenging beginning. Although the message is wonderful, the prose is occasionally stilted, especially when read aloud. Additionally, on two occasions the author’s voice and intention intrude upon the story: a lesson about whale breathing habits and a history of the Boston Tea Party. The jarring inclusion of these two facts disrupts the story’s flow, making it feel like an attempt to force educational content into the experience.
A lovely message about differences for children that falls just short of its potential.Pub Date: June 7, 2013
ISBN: 978-1482594898
Page Count: 38
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: July 30, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A joyful celebration.
Families in a variety of configurations play, dance, and celebrate together.
The rhymed verse, based on a song from the Noodle Loaf children’s podcast, declares that “Families belong / Together like a puzzle / Different-sized people / One big snuggle.” The accompanying image shows an interracial couple of caregivers (one with brown skin and one pale) cuddling with a pajama-clad toddler with light brown skin and surrounded by two cats and a dog. Subsequent pages show a wide array of families with members of many different racial presentations engaging in bike and bus rides, indoor dance parties, and more. In some, readers see only one caregiver: a father or a grandparent, perhaps. One same-sex couple with two children in tow are expecting another child. Smart’s illustrations are playful and expressive, curating the most joyful moments of family life. The verse, punctuated by the word together, frequently set in oversized font, is gently inclusive at its best but may trip up readers with its irregular rhythms. The song that inspired the book can be found on the Noodle Loaf website.
A joyful celebration. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22276-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Rise x Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2020
Continuing to find inspiration in the work of Virginia Lee Burton, Munro Leaf and other illustrators of the past, Long (The Little Engine That Could, 2005) offers an aw-shucks friendship tale that features a small but hardworking tractor (“putt puff puttedy chuff”) with a Little Toot–style face and a big-eared young descendant of Ferdinand the bull who gets stuck in deep, gooey mud. After the big new yellow tractor, crowds of overalls-clad locals and a red fire engine all fail to pull her out, the little tractor (who had been left behind the barn to rust after the arrival of the new tractor) comes putt-puff-puttedy-chuff-ing down the hill to entice his terrified bovine buddy successfully back to dry ground. Short on internal logic but long on creamy scenes of calf and tractor either gamboling energetically with a gaggle of McCloskey-like geese through neutral-toned fields or resting peacefully in the shade of a gnarled tree (apple, not cork), the episode will certainly draw nostalgic adults. Considering the author’s track record and influences, it may find a welcome from younger audiences too. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-399-25248-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2009
SEEN & HEARD
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