Beautifully captures the thrill of finding natural treasures.
A confident kid invites readers to join in a hunt for treasure.
The protagonist, a kid with long, straight, dark hair and tan skin, heads to the bay with Papa and their dog. The beach there, the protagonist promises readers, is full of hidden bounty ripe for discovery. On the way, they pass a shop that sells souvenirs that some might consider treasure. The protagonist assures readers, though, that treasure is always best when we find it for ourselves. The child first searches the sand, uncovering some beach stones, and then in the water, discovering what might be a whale’s tooth. Diving into the cold water, the kid finds everything from a rusty key to a bubble wand. Some of the treasures espied, like cocoons, must be left behind, the mere observation a joy in and of itself. When it is time to go, the narrator must decide what treasure is worth taking with her—and what’s best left to the beach. The book’s soft, warm pastel palette and MacKay’s trademark diorama technique together create the feeling of a hazy, lazy day on the beach. The lyrical text is enjoyable at the line level, employing rich vocabulary and a flowing and natural rhyme scheme. The meditative narrative clearly communicates the importance of valuing and respecting nature without ever being pedantic or preachy.
Beautifully captures the thrill of finding natural treasures. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7624-6301-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Running Press Kids
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance.
A boy with wings learns to be himself and inspires others like him to soar, too.
Norman, a “perfectly normal” boy, never dreamed he might grow wings. Afraid of what his parents might say, he hides his new wings under a big, stuffy coat. Although the coat hides his wings from the world, Norman no longer finds joy in bathtime, playing at the park, swimming, or birthday parties. With the gentle encouragement of his parents, who see his sadness, Norman finds the courage to come out of hiding and soar. Percival (The Magic Looking Glass, 2017, etc.) depicts Norman with light skin and dark hair. Black-and-white illustrations show his father with dark skin and hair and his mother as white. The contrast of black-and-white illustrations with splashes of bright color complements the story’s theme. While Norman tries to be “normal,” the world and people around him look black and gray, but his coat stands out in yellow. Birds pop from the page in pink, green, and blue, emphasizing the joy and beauty of flying free. The final spread, full of bright color and multiracial children in flight, sets the mood for Norman’s realization on the last page that there is “no such thing as perfectly normal,” but he can be “perfectly Norman.”
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68119-785-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
Parent-child love and affection, appealingly presented, with the added attraction of the seasonal content and lack of gender...
A polar-bear parent speaks poetically of love for a child.
A genderless adult and cub travel through the landscapes of an arctic year. Each of the softly rendered double-page paintings has a very different feel and color palette as the pair go through the seasons, walking through wintry ice and snow and green summer meadows, cavorting in the blue ocean, watching whales, and playing beside musk oxen. The rhymes of the four-line stanzas are not forced, as is the case too often in picture books of this type: “When cold, winter winds / blow the leaves far and wide, / You’ll cross the great icebergs / with me by your side.” On a dark, snowy night, the loving parent says: “But for now, cuddle close / while the stars softly shine. // I’ll always be yours, / and you’ll always be mine.” As the last illustration shows the pair curled up for sleep, young listeners will be lulled to sweet dreams by the calm tenor of the pictures and the words. While far from original, this timeless theme is always in demand, and the combination of delightful illustrations and poetry that scans well make this a good choice for early-childhood classrooms, public libraries, and one-on-one home read-alouds.
Parent-child love and affection, appealingly presented, with the added attraction of the seasonal content and lack of gender restrictions. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-68010-070-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
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