A fun-filled romp around the Big Apple for children and adults to enjoy together.
Feline best friends Ollie and Moon take a whirlwind tour of New York City.
During their adventures in Paris (Ollie & Moon, 2011), Ollie provided Moon with delightful surprises. Now Moon is determined to make Ollie laugh as they wander uptown, downtown and crosstown. She tries food jokes, dance moves, silly snapshots and cavorting with a troupe of mimes, but she wins only an occasional smile. In the manner of Mo Willems’ Knuffle Bunny books, Meskin’s colorful photos of the Staten Island Ferry, the subway, the Library Lions, Central Park and other iconic city sights and settings form the backdrop for Kredensor’s goofy cartoon characters. Ollie and Moon have square heads and enormous eyes and are decidedly uncatlike. As they move through the city, they are surrounded by a cast of outlandish creatures. A snail cab driver utters the poetic “Fuhgeddaboudit.” A trio of mouse musicians plays on the subway platform as a giraffe listens to a boom box on the train. Observant readers will find even more madcap extras, such as skating penguins, a beaver with a backpack and an announcement for an exhibit about cheese through the ages. It all concludes with a gross-out event that finds Moon and Ollie—and probably readers—giggling.
A fun-filled romp around the Big Apple for children and adults to enjoy together. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: May 22, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-375-87014-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Feb. 14, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2012
Simple acts of kindness that warm the heart.
“Kindness is sometimes / a cup and a card.” Wait! What?
Yes, kindness is a cup and a card—when someone uses them to gently trap a ladybug inside and release it outside. With a simple rhyming text and softly colored illustrations of community scenes, each page shows neighbors, professionals, and strangers modeling simple acts of kindness toward people and animals. A child rakes leaves for an older neighbor, another brings soup to someone who is “sneezy,” and one even shares a book via a clever bucket delivery system. As neighboring businesses, a flower seller swaps a bouquet for peaches with a grocer. A fireman rescues a cat from a tree, park security helps a lost child, and an ice cream vendor gives a cone to a young skater who has fallen. Even strangers act with kindness and return a dropped key, snap a picture for a vacationing family, and adopt a dog that “others ignore.” From infants to grandparents, people in this busy and diverse community come together to enjoy one another and their common interests. Illustrations show a girl wearing a hijab, a child in a wheelchair playing badminton with friends, and interracial families.
Simple acts of kindness that warm the heart. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 29, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-250-23789-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Godwin Books
Review Posted Online: June 29, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A disappointing follow-up.
Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).
While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.
A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
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