Purple prose unlikely to hold the attention of young, independent readers.
In Halward’s debut chapter book, four magical creatures born of the rainbow bring messages of hope, love, sharing and respect to children around the world.
As this self-proclaimed “remarkable story full of charm and unforgettable adventures” opens, the world faces total darkness. After the world is deluged with months of rain (despite which the trees dry up), the sun finally breaks through the clouds, and a rainbow appears. In the magic that follows, six rainbow-colored creatures appear, each with a mission to bring a particular emotion or virtue to the children of the world. Of the six creatures, which are round spheres with hands and feet, big eyes and velvety skin, only four have adventures in this book. Blummy, the blue sphere, teaches sharing to bullies in Mexico; Grenny, the green sphere, helps a family of New Yorkers who lost their dog hold onto hope that she will be found; Remmy, the red sphere, helps a lonely girl in Russia realize she can make friends; and Pattyna, the purple sphere, enlists the help of a dragon to save a village in China from a mudslide. It’s a wonderful idea to use several locations around the world for these stories, but in practice, the book gives little feeling of diversity. The bullied child in Mexico is Johnny, who attends a school that feels American; the only cultural detail offered is his grandmother making him tacos for lunch. The Russian children have Russian-sounding names, but the story could otherwise happen in any winter forest in which friendly bears live. Halward has her Chinese children explain the meanings of each of their names, making their introductions feel similar to those of a baby-name book; the dragon, which breathes fire and has wings, acts more like a Western dragon than its Chinese counterpart. Young’s brightly colored, cartoonish illustrations are the highlights here, but while they may attract young readers, they cannot save the book from its text-heavy story.
Purple prose unlikely to hold the attention of young, independent readers.Pub Date: Feb. 13, 2014
ISBN: 978-1493169139
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Xlibris
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An enjoyable picture book that addresses important issues in a kid-friendly way without being preachy.
Willenbrock’s heartwarming debut picture book is the autobiographical story of how she came to share her home with a special shelter dog.
Told from the perspective of Marshall, Willenbrock’s dog, this tale tells of his unpleasant life in the home of a dog hoarder, where food for the dogs was so scarce that they fought each other at mealtime. In one of these fights, Marshall’s front leg was broken and his face was badly bitten. When animal rescuers finally found out about the animal hoarder and took the dogs away, Marshall was in such sorry shape that they didn’t know if he would make it. He ended up losing his damaged front leg and his face remained badly scarred, yet he describes the compassion of the humane society workers who helped him learn how to walk and run on three legs. He meets his new “mom” (owner) and adjusts to a life of freedom with her and her other dog, Mooshy. Though life is good, Marshall is insecure and nervous about how other dogs and people will react to the fact that he has only three legs and a big scar on his face, but he’s pleasantly surprised by the kindness of others. Heimbaugh’s realistic colored-pencil illustrations help bring Marshall’s story to life. Due to wordiness and the use of some bigger words—celebrity, socialize, limitations—this book will most likely work better as a read-aloud with school-age children. It also lends itself to discussions about the humane treatment of animals and discussions about bullying.
An enjoyable picture book that addresses important issues in a kid-friendly way without being preachy.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0615666259
Page Count: 40
Publisher: The Marshall Movement
Review Posted Online: Oct. 9, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Unanswered questions and heavy-handed writing drain intrigue from this not-so-spooky story.
Three friends unravel old secrets lurking beneath the surface of a picture-perfect town in this young adult mystery.
Fallon and her best friend, Blair, live in the town of Whitford, a “sort of old fashioned” place where “everyone knows everyone else.” Nothing ever goes wrong there, except for local 16-year-old girls’ penchant for drowning in Whitford Pond on their 16th birthdays. That is, nothing ever goes wrong until Blair, Fallon and their new friend Lila start investigating the drownings as part of a history project. Soon after the girls paddle out to the spooky island at the middle of the pond where its victims are buried, Fallon discovers that she’s related to the pond’s first victim: Elizabeth Mason, who was engaged to the prosperous son of the town jeweler before her supposed suicide in 1750. By poking around the town historical society and badgering Fallon’s lively grandmother, Nana, the girls realize that something sinister lurks beneath Whitford’s bucolic surface. It’s only when the trio heads to the fourth floor of Whitford’s public library in search of A Genealogy of the Noble Families of Whitford: A History that they realize their quest is putting them in danger. Blair and Fallon’s friendship feels comfortable and credible, although the addition of “exotic” Lila seems like a strained plot device rather than a real-life event. Indeed, much of the plotting is convenient rather than clever; the girls’ discoveries primarily result from pushing Nana to give them information or snooping around Nana’s house—and the developments that aren’t related to Nana are foreshadowed so heavily that they come as no surprise. Another distraction: Every time that the inhabitants of Whitford scream or emphasize a turn of phrase, Fredo uses capital letters. They’re are unnecessary, for example, when Fallon says, “I JUST HAD THE BEST IDEA EVER!”
Unanswered questions and heavy-handed writing drain intrigue from this not-so-spooky story.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 172
Publisher: iUniverse
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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