Illustrations elevate this tale of hope and empowerment.
A young girl finds a way to make her star shine.
A black-haired, brown-skinned child simply referred to as “the girl” walks in a rainy village accompanied by a gray tabby cat. She finds herself enveloped in a “world” that has “been dark for a long time. Rainy. Lonely. Dark.” One day she makes an “enormous wish. She wished the lonely dark away.” The next day she finds a star by the village’s fountain. “It was beautiful and warm and perfect.” Soon after attempting to hold it in her coat the girl realizes that it refuses to be hidden, but even in the open it is quickly losing its shine. The girl makes several futile attempts to revive it, but her numerous calls for help to the community are left unanswered. It is when she finds other children in need and decides to help and share the star that its light begins to shine brighter. A few idiosyncratic word choices (“shrinkier,” “glowy”) occasionally disrupt the flow of the narrative. However, Pray’s textured line drawings are alluringly filled with pastel colors. Initially the pages are saturated in dark blues and grays, but as the girl’s acts of kindness expand to others in her diverse community, the colors transform to a brighter tone. Pray lets readers know of their inherent power to bring about positive change, no matter their size.
Illustrations elevate this tale of hope and empowerment. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 9, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-9270-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
A disappointing follow-up.
Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).
While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.
A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
A valuable asset to the library of a child who experiences anxiety and a great book to get children talking about their...
Ruby is an adventurous and happy child until the day she discovers a Worry.
Ruby barely sees the Worry—depicted as a blob of yellow with a frowny unibrow—at first, but as it hovers, the more she notices it and the larger it grows. The longer Ruby is affected by this Worry, the fewer colors appear on the page. Though she tries not to pay attention to the Worry, which no one else can see, ignoring it prevents her from enjoying the things that she once loved. Her constant anxiety about the Worry causes the bright yellow blob to crowd Ruby’s everyday life, which by this point is nearly all washes of gray and white. But at the playground, Ruby sees a boy sitting on a bench with a growing sky-blue Worry of his own. When she invites the boy to talk, his Worry begins to shrink—and when Ruby talks about her own Worry, it also grows smaller. By the book’s conclusion, Ruby learns to control her Worry by talking about what worries her, a priceless lesson for any child—or adult—conveyed in a beautifully child-friendly manner. Ruby presents black, with hair in cornrows and two big afro-puff pigtails, while the boy has pale skin and spiky black hair.
A valuable asset to the library of a child who experiences anxiety and a great book to get children talking about their feelings (. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0237-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
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