HOUSES FLOATING HOME

Name: HOUSES FLOATING HOME
Author: Einar Turkowski
ISBN: 978-1-59270-183-4

by Einar Turkowski ; illustrated by Einar Turkowski ; translated by Belinda Cooper ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 11, 2016

Whether readers find this book unsettling or intriguing will likely depend on the child. It certainly offers fertile ground...

bookshelf

This German import unfolds in dreamlike double-page spreads.

In place of a linear narrative are pairs of words, one per spread, that express a dichotomy: “Order—Disorder,” “Noise—Stillness,” “Boy—Girl.” The sequence of surreal, graphite drawings begins with “One—Many.” A pack of mice races toward a hole in a low wall labeled “Cheese.” The front-runner wears the numeral “1.” What the creatures can’t see is the watchful cat following the sprint from behind the structure. Those looking closely will soon understand that the caption has multiple interpretations. A tail and hindquarters are visible running around the wall’s side; it is this “one” that appears in every subsequent scene. There is much to consider in these spacious, monochromatic pictures: the face of a lovely woman sleeping at the edge of a forest, elaborate domed structures against a starry sky, an ocean of fish blowing—or perhaps consuming—thought bubbles, and houses soaring in the sky, like kites—attached to strings. This titular image is especially provocative. Do houses yearn to go home? Where are they from? Do they transport their inhabitants? The final composition depicts trees on slender trunks, bent forward in the wind, ever-so-slightly reminiscent of the running rodents (although this image does not convey closure). Children could invent a continuous narrative, individual tales, or new stories upon rereadings.

Whether readers find this book unsettling or intriguing will likely depend on the child. It certainly offers fertile ground for imaginative conversation. (Picture book. 5-9)

Pub Date: March 11, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-59270-183-4

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books

Review Posted Online: Jan. 8, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS

bookshelf

LITTLE DAYMOND LEARNS TO EARN

by Daymond John ; illustrated by Nicole Miles ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 21, 2023

It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.

bookshelf

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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

bookshelf

NOTHING EVER HAPPENS ON A GRAY DAY

by Grant Snider ; illustrated by Grant Snider ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 5, 2023

Quietly contemplative and thoroughly lovely.

bookshelf

A child finds adventure and a change of perspective on a dreary day.

Clouds cover everything in a palette of unending gray, creating a sense of ennui and gloom. A child stands alone, head down, feeling as gray as the day, and decides to ride through town on an old bike. Pops of color throughout the grayscale illustrations go unnoticed—there are yellow leaves scattered about, and the parking lot is filled with bright yellow buses, but this child, who has skin the grayish white of the page, sees only the empty playground, creaky swings, a sad merry-go-round, and lonely seesaws. But look—there’s a narrow winding path just beyond the fence, something to explore. There are things to be noticed, leaves to be crunched, and discoveries to be made. Imagination takes over, along with senses of wonderment and calm, as the child watches a large blue bird fly over the area. The ride home is quite different, joyful and filled with color previously ignored, reaffirming the change in the rider’s outlook. The descriptive, spare text filled with imagery and onomatopoeia is well aligned with well-rendered art highlighting all the colors that brighten the not-so-gray day and allowing readers to see what the protagonist struggles to understand, that “anything can happen…on a gray day.” (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Quietly contemplative and thoroughly lovely. (Picture book. 5-9)