A memorable journey for sophisticated readers.
In this artistically rendered picture book, a whale lives through 200 years of human history, taking readers from the brutal whaling industry to activism for harmony with the ocean and its creatures.
Deep purple and red hues in soft pastel and charcoal set the tone for an emotional journey in this latest work by Turk (The Storyteller, 2016, etc.). Beginning with a red glowing spot and purple background and the words “heart… / beat,” one heartbeat inside a whale becomes two heartbeats when the whale becomes pregnant. After she gives birth, the whale calf and its mother breathe “one song” into “one ocean.” Their harmony is cut off when straight, sharp white shapes and lines intrude upon the page. Colors give way to black and white as heartbeats stagger, and the whale calf is left alone, “one heart, one song.” Whale-shaped lamps are lit, machines are oiled, which knowledgeable readers can connect to the use of whale oil. Time passes, often violently. Finally, the story comes full circle as a concerned girl with afro puffs looks out from a boat with concern and joins the whale’s song. Many voices join in, until the soft red and purple pastels return, along with the text “One world, one song, one heartbeat.” The illustrations are evocative and emotional, although caregivers will likely need to help younger readers with the abstract storytelling.
A memorable journey for sophisticated readers. (author’s note) (Picture book. 5-10)Pub Date: June 12, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4814-3520-8
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2018
Invaluable in this moment and beyond.
A tenderhearted, life-affirming exploration of the depressive cycle through simple language and a rich visual vocabulary.
Bear and Smile seem inseparable. They do everything together: wake, munch, roam floral fields and wooded wilderness, plunge into waterfalls, and slurp golden gobs of honey. Suffused with a solar glow, vibrant illustrations undergirded by the inimitable texture of Arches paper initially exude the most wonderful warmth. All is clearly well—but, as the world has a habit of reminding us, great difficulties sometimes arrive abruptly. One morning—without warning, without reason—Bear finds himself alone. Smile is nowhere to be found. Amid Bear’s gloomy landscape, a few objects retain their true colors, but the rest of the world is subsumed by a deep blue malaise. Rabbit notices something is amiss and suggests Bear seek Smile in his favorite places; Bear searches everywhere, to no avail. Bear slurps a pawful of honey as a last resort; still, Smile doesn’t return. As hope fades, Bird swoops in and asks what’s wrong. Bear shares his sorrow, and Bird sits alongside him. They share the comfortable silence of confidants—until Bird begins to sing, softly at first, then louder as Bear hums in harmony. As they fill the forest with song, something stirs deep within Bear. As it rises, the world slowly shifts. Color imbues the page. Life irrupts anew. At long last, Smile appears on Bear’s face. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-19.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 57% of actual size.)
Invaluable in this moment and beyond. (Picture book. 5-10)Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6619-7
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
An adventure in giggles for feline fantasy aficionados.
On the Islands of Pawdor monsters haven’t been a problem for years, but that could be changing.
Kitties Perigold and Woolfrik are just starting out as monster hunters, and things are kind of slow. A little old lady’s monster-in-the-cellar problem seems a perfect first quest, however—her house is pretty creepy and full of some questionable objects. They venture into her dark cellar, but, alas, the monster turns out to be a faulty pipe. They fix it, and she insists on paying for the service with a giant pink gem. At the broccito stand (a portmanteau for a broccoli-filled burrito) they not only find out the gem is worthless, but they accidentally step on a broccito belonging to the evil, mustachioed kitty Dagzobad. When Perigold tosses the useless gem away, a tower abruptly sprouts from it, bonking Dagzobad’s pet monster in the kisser. Then the ghost of Earl Mortimore rises to tell them the history of Kitquaroo, an ancient kitty monster slayer. It seems their adventures are just beginning; can they revive the Guild of Kitquaroo? (And is it really necessary?) Corbett’s graphic-novel debut, a series opener, will entertain fans of Dog Man and Zita the Spacegirl. Bright cartoon panels full of slapstick and sarcasm (with a soupçon of gross) zip across the pages like stills from the best Saturday-morning cartoons.
An adventure in giggles for feline fantasy aficionados. (Graphic fantasy. 5-10)Pub Date: June 15, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-20544-0
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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