A fun read that brings only delight.
In her latest series outing, Marisol Rainey faces her fear of a large dog on the loose.
Marisol loves riding her bike, especially with her best friend, Jada. On weekends they ride around their neighborhood, pausing only when they come to the house where the terrifying beast lives, whom they call Daggers. They’ve never interacted with the dog, so Marisol doesn’t know if Daggers is his real name or if he is even dangerous at all. One day Marisol sees a lost dog flyer for Daggers (actually, turns out his name is Gregory). Her nervousness grows, making it difficult to ride her bike alone. She and Jade seek help from their friend Felix, who claims he can talk to animals. Felix doesn’t know how to ride a bike, so the girls make a deal: They’ll give him lessons if he finds a way to communicate with—and recapture—Gregory. But teaching someone takes patience, and Jada is being rude to Felix. Marisol, who’s often plagued by the what-ifs, confronts her fears and discovers she’s not the only one who worries about things. Short and sweet, this installment is full of humor and relatability. Characters deal with friendship ups and downs and learn not to make snap judgments about people. Kelly's charming black-and-white illustrations add fun facts about animal communication and bike safety. Marisol is biracial (her mother is Filipina, while her father is White), Jada is Black, and Felix presents White.
A fun read that brings only delight. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780062970480
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2023
An enigmatic, quirky representation of an active imagination in search of understanding and companionship.
A child finds connection to the world all around in this Korean import.
The illustrations in this unusual picture book achieve a 3-D effect reminiscent of claymation. The opening scene shows an aerial view of a playground scattered with maple and gingko leaves; a tethered dog watches a child aiming at marbles. Accustomed to spending time alone and solitary play, Tong Tong’s fertile imagination infuses a bag of assorted spherical hard candies with powers that give voice to unlikely speakers, such as the living room sofa and Marbles the old dog, each speaking with Tong Tong to share a sentient perspective. The hard candies also channel the tough love hidden within Tong Tong’s father and Grandma’s bubbly, reassuring voice emanating from another realm. The candies’ magic reveals yet another dimension when Tong Tong is drawn outdoors to witness nature’s beauty as copious falling leaves bid farewell to the season. Through these uncanny exchanges, Tong Tong not only makes surprising discoveries, but also delves into complex emotions, celebrates a continuing relationship with Grandma, and takes courageous steps toward a tantalizing conclusion. The enhanced artwork establishes depth and perspective, featuring details some may find initially unsettling—along with the cryptic, open-ended narrative. That said, depictions of facial expressions are skillful and endearing, and the interplay between text and illustrations will cause readers to linger and ponder.
An enigmatic, quirky representation of an active imagination in search of understanding and companionship. (Picture book. 6-9)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5420-2959-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Amazon Crossing Kids
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
The message is worthy, but this phoned-in follow-up doesn’t add anything significant.
A color-themed vision of what school should be like.
In what amounts to a rehash of The World Needs More Purple People (2020), Bell and Hart address adult as well as young readers to explain what “curious and kind you” can do to make school, or for that matter the universe, a better place. Again culminating in the vague but familiar “JUST. BE. YOU!” the program remains much the same—including asking questions both “universe-sized” (“Could you make a burrito larger than a garbage truck?”) and “smaller, people-sized” (i.e., personal), working hard to learn and make things, offering praise and encouragement, speaking up and out, laughing together, and listening to others. In the illustrations, light-skinned, blond-haired narrator Penny poses amid a busy, open-mouthed, diverse cast that includes a child wearing a hijab and one who uses a wheelchair. Wiseman opts to show fewer grown-ups here, but the children are the same as in the earlier book, and a scene showing two figures blowing chocolate milk out of their noses essentially recycles a visual joke from the previous outing. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
The message is worthy, but this phoned-in follow-up doesn’t add anything significant. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: June 21, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-43490-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: April 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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