bookshelf

THE WOODEN TREASURE

Name: THE WOODEN TREASURE
Author: Frédéric Marais
ISBN: 978-1-4788-7035-7

by Frédéric Marais ; illustrated by Frédéric Marais ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 28, 2021

An uneven picture book about a popular game that exploits familiar South Asian iconography.

bookshelf

This French import is inspired by the biography of Mir Sultan Khan, once known as the most talented chess master from Asia.

One day a child who is begging for food is surprised with an unusual gift from a mysterious, turbaned, bearded man: a wooden chess set. The nameless old man explains to the boy how to move the pieces and tells him stories as he plays with the figurines. “The boy found himself on a great adventure” in those stories—“defender and conqueror…victor and vanquished.” As the boy becomes more skilled at the game, a maharajah becomes his patron and sends him to play in tournaments overseas. Marais reimagines Khan’s story using Orientalist textual and graphic tropes. The book’s first sentences are “A long time ago, in a country far away, there lived a boy who had nothing”; the boy’s bare feet are in the foreground, and onion domes clutter the background. In real life, Khan grew up in a landed family and learned chess from his father; he went to London as an adult with the encouragement of an elected member of India’s national legislative body—there was no maharajah. Still, Marais’ limited color palette of black, white, blue, and orange is striking, and the spreads when the boy falls into the game and its characters are energetic and original. (This book was reviewed digitally with 12.6-by-18.8-inch double-page spreads viewed at 11.1% of actual size.)

An uneven picture book about a popular game that exploits familiar South Asian iconography. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: May 28, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-4788-7035-7

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Reycraft Books

Review Posted Online: March 16, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

bookshelf

THERE'S A ROCK CONCERT IN MY BEDROOM

by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas ; illustrated by Courtney Dawson ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 29, 2022

Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.

bookshelf

Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.

Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)

Pub Date: March 29, 2022

ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin

Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

- BOOK REVIEW
THERE'S A BEACH IN MY BEDROOM
by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas ; illustrated by Courtney Dawson

bookshelf

LITTLE MELBA AND HER BIG TROMBONE

by Katheryn Russell-Brown ; illustrated by Frank Morrison ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 1, 2014

Readers will agree that “Melba Doretta Liston was something special.” (Picture book. 4-8)

bookshelf

Bewitched by the rhythms of jazz all around her in Depression-era Kansas City, little Melba Doretta Liston longs to make music in this fictional account of a little-known jazz great.

Picking up the trombone at 7, the little girl teaches herself to play with the support of her Grandpa John and Momma Lucille, performing on the radio at 8 and touring as a pro at just 17. Both text and illustrations make it clear that it’s not all easy for Melba; “The Best Service for WHITES ONLY” reads a sign in a hotel window as the narrative describes a bigotry-plagued tour in the South with Billie Holiday. But joy carries the day, and the story ends on a high note, with Melba “dazzling audiences and making headlines” around the world. Russell-Brown’s debut text has an innate musicality, mixing judicious use of onomatopoeia with often sonorous prose. Morrison’s sinuous, exaggerated lines are the perfect match for Melba’s story; she puts her entire body into her playing, the exaggerated arch of her back and thrust of her shoulders mirroring the curves of her instrument. In one thrilling spread, the evening gown–clad instrumentalist stands over the male musicians, her slide crossing the gutter while the back bow disappears off the page to the left. An impressive discography complements a two-page afterword and a thorough bibliography.

Readers will agree that “Melba Doretta Liston was something special.” (Picture book. 4-8)