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
A good choice to help children consider similarities and differences.
There are many fish in the sea—and they are all different.
Adri, a winsome fish, spends the day exploring, and as he heads home, he can’t help but notice variety in the assortment of finned creatures that surround him. In this companion to the earlier Only One You (2006), which presented Chicken Soup–type advice to the same young fish, Kranz escapes didacticism and provides young readers with an appealing look at diversity. Primarily focused on opposites such as right and left, up and down, big and tiny, smooth and spiny, the bouncy, rhymed text points out differences, while colorful fish swim through the pages illustrating the aforementioned variations. If there is a flaw in Kranz’s stylistic rockfish, it is that the differences are not always obvious, as all of the fish have a similar look, but this will serve to make children examine the pictures more closely. Presented with clarity, the distinctions are nicely summarized by Adri himself when he returns to his parents: “There are so many of us…We all have something special that only we can share.” Youngsters will enjoy the catchiness of the text and the lively nature of the illustrations, while appreciating the concepts found within, and parallels can easily be drawn to differences of all sorts.
A good choice to help children consider similarities and differences. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-58979-666-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
A delightful counting book to read aloud, especially at bedtime.
A counting book follows a family’s interactions on their shared bed.
At first, there is only one on the bed, the sleeping cat. Then there is one, the dog, below the bed as well. The text continues to count how many are on and below the bed as parents and a child join in. The child lifts the dog up, causing cat, then dog, then parent to leave the bed; the child begins to jump above the bed. Then suddenly, there are none on the bed, just a messy pile of sheets and blankets—maybe. As the family gets ready to sleep, one by one, they get on the bed until there are five on the bed. This is a fun, playful counting book. The text emphasizes the numbers by printing them in all capitals, contrasting colors, and larger font. With its many prepositions, this is a great way to introduce spatial relationships and positions, such as on, above, below. The impressively intricate collaged cut-paper art adds texture and depth with a slight 3-D effect. The artwork beautifully captures all of the messy, silly, and joyful family interactions. The father has medium-brown skin and is bald, the mother has pale skin and straight, black hair, and the child has light-brown skin and straight, black hair.
A delightful counting book to read aloud, especially at bedtime. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5132-6428-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: West Margin Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
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