A charming celebration of diversity featuring pleasant images.
Butterflies learn a lesson about discriminating by color in this illustrated kids’ book.
In an idyllic garden, all the flowers are yellow, and so are the butterflies—all but one blue butterfly who’s “beautiful and easy to spot, like a berry in butter.” When the yellow butterflies see her, they chase her out of the garden, chanting, “She does not belong. It’s wrong. It’s wrong!” The blue insect escapes to a glen in the forest, where the various plants and animals come in a gorgeous array of colors. They enthusiastically welcome her, because they, too, have been bullied by the yellow butterflies. Meanwhile, the wise and caring Butterfly Queen has become gravely ill, which has allowed a bossy yellow butterfly to take over. A yellow medicine flower, which is invisible in the monochromatic surroundings, could save the queen if the blue outcast points it out—but the yellow usurper nefariously intends to prevent her from doing so. The blue butterfly and her colorful friends must work together in order to rescue the rightful queen. In her debut children’s book, Moseley makes her message obvious: “You are all different and all perfect, just as you are….Now, you reach beyond yourselves, using your differences to help your friends.” The story avoids feeling overly preachy, however, through its use of poetic language and vivid descriptions, such as “A full moon rose, waking the stars and sparking a web of light across the sky.” The animals and plants in the glen are also appealing; although they feel intimidated by the yellow-butterfly gang, they screw up their courage after seeing how their new visitor has brought them all together. The soft, pastel watercolors by debut illustrator Green are lovely and nicely express the book’s magical feel. The suspense and danger as the queen’s health worsens and the power-hungry yellow butterfly plots adds to the excitement.
A charming celebration of diversity featuring pleasant images.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: May 29, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
Telgemeier’s bold colors, superior visual storytelling, and unusual subject matter will keep readers emotionally engaged and...
Catrina narrates the story of her mixed-race (Latino/white) family’s move from Southern California to Bahía de la Luna on the Northern California coast.
Dad has a new job, but it’s little sister Maya’s lungs that motivate the move: she has had cystic fibrosis since birth—a degenerative breathing condition. Despite her health, Maya loves adventure, even if her lungs suffer for it and even when Cat must follow to keep her safe. When Carlos, a tall, brown, and handsome teen Ghost Tour guide introduces the sisters to the Bahía ghosts—most of whom were Spanish-speaking Mexicans when alive—they fascinate Maya and she them, but the terrified Cat wants only to get herself and Maya back to safety. When the ghost adventure leads to Maya’s hospitalization, Cat blames both herself and Carlos, which makes seeing him at school difficult. As Cat awakens to the meaning of Halloween and Day of the Dead in this strange new home, she comes to understand the importance of the ghosts both to herself and to Maya. Telgemeier neatly balances enough issues that a lesser artist would split them into separate stories and delivers as much delight textually as visually. The backmatter includes snippets from Telgemeier’s sketchbook and a photo of her in Día makeup.
Telgemeier’s bold colors, superior visual storytelling, and unusual subject matter will keep readers emotionally engaged and unable to put down this compelling tale. (Graphic fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-545-54061-2
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2016
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