Munson’s now-classic tale of sandlot rivalry morphing into friendship is as effective in Spanish as it is in English
Enemy Pie (2000) extends its message to readers of Spanish.
How to get rid of an enemy: First, have your parent bake a pie filled with secret, enemy-destroying ingredients; second, spend the entire day with your enemy; third, be sneaky—pretend to be nice to your enemy; fourth, serve your enemy an enormous piece of pie with a scoop of ice cream and wait for their hair to fall out. Public enemy No. 1, Jeremy Ross, has returned after nearly two decades—speaking Spanish. Even with a new name, he’s still trouble. Joaquín Rojas laughs at the narrator while playing baseball and doesn’t invite him to his trampoline party. And adding insult to injury, he cozies up to the beleaguered hero’s best friend, Esteban. Joaquín needs to go. King’s illustrations, populated with oversized, bobbleheaded kids (all pale-skinned), remain fresh while neatly complementing the dry-witted text. From the individually mortared bricks in the walkway to the exploded water-balloon carcasses on the street and sidewalk, the detailed scenes chronicle a not-so-ordinary summer’s day in a middle-class neighborhood. Lombana’s translation preserves the integrity of the original text and flows effortlessly. It’s disappointing that the activity-rich website suggested on the jacket flap is not similarly bilingual.
Munson’s now-classic tale of sandlot rivalry morphing into friendship is as effective in Spanish as it is in English . (Picture book. 5-9)Pub Date: Aug. 7, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4521-5956-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: June 10, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
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
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