An inventive, nicely illustrated fantasy emphasizing determination, bravery, and magic.
An elf solves a mystery in her forest home in this picture book.
In Cucuruzzu, Eli, a “moon elf,” is perplexed that sugar crystals in the forest are “turning anyone who touched them into hard rock candy.” Then Eli’s bunny friend Luna discovers that her baby, Doudou, is afflicted. Eli and Luna immediately seek help. A magician explains the phenomenon occurs when the Hallowshine dragon’s tears become sugar crystals, which “can be broken with a drop of his saliva” if done “by the next nightfall.” Fairy Lexie says to locate the dragon, they must retrieve a pair of magical golden shoes. Eli finds the shoes, which fly her and Luna to the dragon’s cave. They confront the sobbing creature, who feels guilty and lonely. Eli empathizes, noting: “I…am the only moon elf I know. But the animals of the enchanted forest have been kind to me, and I know they would be kind to you, too.” The dragon escorts them home, but night has fallen—it’s too late to save Doudou. When Eli cries, her tears cause the crystals to vanish, freeing Doudou and shocking the elf. The dragon vows: “Tears no more…and friends, forever.” Cabanel’s eventful tale offers an imaginative spin on a hero’s quest to save the day. Readers will enjoy following Eli in an ethereal setting filled with colorful characters. Ilchenko’s fantastical images feature lush forest scenes with vivid details like twisty trees and distinctive critters.
An inventive, nicely illustrated fantasy emphasizing determination, bravery, and magic.Pub Date: Oct. 11, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-77790-881-2
Page Count: 44
Publisher: Twenty Two House Publishing
Review Posted Online: Nov. 10, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable.
You think you know shapes? Animals? Blend them together, and you might see them both a little differently!
What a mischievous twist on a concept book! With wordplay and a few groan-inducing puns, Neal creates connections among animals and shapes that are both unexpected and so seemingly obvious that readers might wonder why they didn’t see them all along. Of course, a “lazy turtle” meeting an oval would create the side-splitting combo of a “SLOW-VAL.” A dramatic page turn transforms a deeply saturated, clean-lined green oval by superimposing a head and turtle shell atop, with watery blue ripples completing the illusion. Minimal backgrounds and sketchy, impressionistic detailing keep the focus right on the zany animals. Beginning with simple shapes, the geometric forms become more complicated as the book advances, taking readers from a “soaring bird” that meets a triangle to become a “FLY-ANGLE” to a “sleepy lion” nonagon “YAWN-AGON.” Its companion text, Animal Colors, delves into color theory, this time creating entirely hybrid animals, such as the “GREEN WHION” with maned head and whale’s tail made from a “blue whale and a yellow lion.” It’s a compelling way to visualize color mixing, and like Animal Shapes, it’s got verve. Who doesn’t want to shout out that a yellow kangaroo/green moose blend is a “CHARTREUSE KANGAMOOSE”?
Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: March 27, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0534-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series.
Another creature is on the loose.
The long-running series continues its successful formula with this Hallmark card of a book, which features bright illustrations and catchy rhymes. This time, the mythical creature the racially diverse children set out to catch is an absent mom who does it all (lists of descriptors include the words banker, caregiver, nurse, doctor, driver, chef, housekeeper, teacher, entertainer, playmate, laundry service, problem solver, handywoman, cleaner, and alarm clock) but doesn’t seem to have a job outside the home and is inexplicably a dinosaur. As the children prepare gifts and a meal for her, the text becomes an ode to the skills the Mamasaurus possesses (“Day or night she’s always there. / She meets every wish and need”) and values she instills (“Sometimes life can mean hard work,” “kindness matters,” and “what counts is doing your best”). This well-intentioned selection veers into cliche generously sprinkled with saccharine but manages to redeem itself with its appreciation for mothers and all that they may do. Endpapers include a “to” and “from” page framed in a heart, as well as a page where young gift givers or recipients can draw a picture of their Mamasaurus.
A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781728274300
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
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