An action-packed contretemps, though in the end it's more a bit of technical advice for young artists than a general tribute...
Two artistes conflict, critique and ultimately collaborate amid a bracing mess of splashes and scribbles.
Deftly drawn in ways that reflect their individual styles, Ink the dapper mouse paints neatly limned still lifes, while disheveled Scribbles the cat sketches loose portraits with colored pencils. Turning up their noses at one another’s efforts (“Amateur!” “Hack!”), the two engage in an escalating squabble that begins with insults but soon takes over entire pages with Harold and the Purple Crayon–like figures and pranks. At last, a full-spread mutual meltdown depicted in wild scrawls and blotches leads to an agreement to work together—on a series of paintings (including one on a big double foldout) that bear strong resemblances to art by Leonardo da Vinci, Keith Haring and other renowned artists. Long’s visual exuberance echoes that achieved in the likes of David Catrow’s I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More (written by Karen Beaumont, 2005) and especially David Wiesner’s Art and Max (2010), which has a similar plot to boot. In closing, though, he identifies the artists he’s referenced and adds a distinctive fillip by suggesting that copying great art done by others isn’t a bad way to develop one’s own skills.
An action-packed contretemps, though in the end it's more a bit of technical advice for young artists than a general tribute to the benefits of working together. (downloadable blank sketchbook [not seen]) (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: June 25, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-60905-205-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Blue Apple
Review Posted Online: April 21, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2012
The story feels a bit contrived, but Ada will be a welcome addition to the small circle of science-loving girls in the...
Using science and technology, third-grader Ada Lace kicks off her new series by solving a mystery even with her leg in a cast.
Temporarily housebound after a badly executed bungee jump, Ada uses binoculars to document the ecosystem of her new neighborhood in San Francisco. She records her observations in a field journal, a project that intrigues new friend Nina, who lives nearby. When they see that Ms. Reed’s dog, Marguerite, is missing, they leap to the conclusion that it has been stolen. Nina does the legwork and Ada provides the technology for their search for the dognapper. Story-crafting takes a back seat to scene-setting in this series kickoff that introduces the major players. As part of the series formula, science topics and gadgetry are integrated into the stories and further explained in a “Behind the Science” afterword. This installment incorporates drones, a wireless camera, gecko gloves, and the Turing test as well as the concept of an ecosystem. There are no ethnic indicators in the text, but the illustrations reveal that Ada, her family, and bratty neighbor Milton are white; Nina appears to be Southeast Asian; and Mr. Peebles, an inventor who lives nearby, is black.
The story feels a bit contrived, but Ada will be a welcome addition to the small circle of science-loving girls in the chapter-book world. (Fiction. 7-9)Pub Date: Aug. 29, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-8599-9
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
A blueprint for effective social action: simple, savvy, and tried and often true.
Voting rights activist and former gubernatorial candidate Abrams’ latest picture book sees her younger self taking a stand against injustice.
The delight of “TacoPizza Fryday”—a special lunch that the whole school voted on—turns sour for elementary schooler Stacey when she notices that some students are excluded because they can’t pay. Sympathetic school librarian Mr. McCormick explains that the “complicated” rules about who qualifies for free lunches leave some children out; he gently suggests that she and her friends address the school board rather than starting with a demonstration. Initially reluctant to speak in public, Stacey decides to lead a petition drive instead. She eventually nerves herself to stand up at the meeting to plead for a policy change, and when the board puts her off, she joins her friends in gently pressuring her principal every Friday with a list of kids who were left out that week. Thomas fills the illustrations with exaggeratedly wide eyes and open mouths; the crowds of diverse cheering, sign-waving students present rousing images of collective action and, at the end, collective triumph. “Imagine what else all their voices could change…together,” the author concludes pointedly, cogently adding in her closing note that sometimes “you feel like you’re fighting only for yourself, until you look around and realize that others are simply waiting for someone to go first.” Though the story is fictional, backmatter references real-life examples of Abrams learning to “speak up and take action.”
A blueprint for effective social action: simple, savvy, and tried and often true. (child hunger resources) (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2024
ISBN: 9780063271876
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
