by F. Isabel Campoy & illustrated by Jose Aruego & Ariane Dewey ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2002
Deep in the Brazilian jungle, Rosa Raposa is making mischief. Basing the adventures of this crafty fox on stories recalled from childhood, Campoy has moved the setting from Spain to the Amazon Rainforest. Campoy skillfully crafts three episodes, each bearing its own title, in which Rosa outsmarts her long-suffering adversary, Jaguar. The mood is light and humorous as Jaguar is lured into a pit, is tied to a tree, or lands in the middle of a bee swarm. Set amid exotic flora and fauna, Aruego and Dewey’s characteristic illustrations blend pen and ink, watercolor, and pastels. Most scenes are entrenched in shades of green, but remain engaging as the sky varies—from lavender to pale yellow to bright blue—with each turn of the page. A combination of sharp pen-and-ink edges and minimal shading creates a two-dimensional quality, enhancing the folk tone of the work. The inclusion and rendering of the jungle’s inhabitants makes this a superlative medium to introduce South America to small children. An author’s note supplies a short glossary, defining some of the Amazonian plants and animals appearing in Rosa’s exploits. These brains-over-brawn tales are an exceptional experience in folk storytelling, with an education in the Amazon as a bonus. Jaguar had better keep his promise to return. (Picture book. 3-7)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-15-202161-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Gulliver/Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2002
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by Abdul-Razak Zachariah ; illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 2, 2019
Vital messages of self-love for darker-skinned children.
On hot summer nights, Amani’s parents permit her to go outside and play in the apartment courtyard, where the breeze is cool and her friends are waiting.
The children jump rope to the sounds of music as it floats through a neighbor’s window, gaze at stars in the night sky, and play hide-and-seek in the moonlight. It is in the moonlight that Amani and her friends are themselves found by the moon, and it illumines the many shades of their skin, which vary from light tan to deep brown. In a world where darkness often evokes ideas of evil or fear, this book is a celebration of things that are dark and beautiful—like a child’s dark skin and the night in which she plays. The lines “Show everyone else how to embrace the night like you. Teach them how to be a night-owning girl like you” are as much an appeal for her to love and appreciate her dark skin as they are the exhortation for Amani to enjoy the night. There is a sense of security that flows throughout this book. The courtyard is safe and homelike. The moon, like an additional parent, seems to be watching the children from the sky. The charming full-bleed illustrations, done in washes of mostly deep blues and greens, make this a wonderful bedtime story.
Vital messages of self-love for darker-skinned children. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: July 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-525-55271-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
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by Laurie Berkner ; illustrated by Camille Garoche ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 7, 2017
For Berkner’s fans; there are much better books about children visiting imaginative lands.
Berkner’s children’s song gets the picture-book treatment with illustrations from Garoche.
What kid hasn’t made a massive pillow fort and imagined all sorts of adventures? Well, Berkner’s premise is that there is a land where everything is made of pillows, and three lucky children get to visit there. (They appear to be siblings, perhaps a blended family: Mom and one girl are black; Dad, one boy, and one girl are white.) The illustrations transition between depictions of obvious imaginative play in a bedroom to a fantasy world and back again at the end, when the parents peek in at the three asleep. Garoche’s art consists of photos of papercut artwork arranged in dioramas with some Photoshop details. Reminiscent of Michael Garland’s work (though more pastel in color) or that of Elly McKay (though less ethereal), the illustrations are a mixed bag, with layers and hard edges juxtaposed against all the pillows. The king and queen of the song are obviously stand-ins for the parents. Children who know the tune may not sit still for a reading, while those who don’t may wonder at the repeated refrain.
For Berkner’s fans; there are much better books about children visiting imaginative lands. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-6467-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2017
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