by Fulvio Testa & illustrated by Fulvio Testa ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 15, 1998
A curious little book that treats the imagination as a yo-yo, expertly played by Testa. An omniscient narrator addresses a boy directly: “Why are you bored? Is there nothing to do? What are you thinking?” The boy troops upstairs into the attic, rummages about, and then heads to the kitchen to gather up a few more items. His moves are questioned by the narrator, for whom understanding comes when the boy seats himself at a table and begins to draw an elaborate still life that he has arranged. The text is minimal, offering few cues as to what is afoot. It is the artwork, a burnished delight, that maintains the momentum, establishing characters and settings and pretty much leading readers around by the nose. Amid the flood of imagery, certain pieces are singled out to share the great expanses of white that serve as a field for the text; they seem random at first, though their continuing presence increases their importance in the story. All suggestions culminate in the last page, where the mystery lifts, inevitably, and the enormously appealing adventure has just begun. (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: Nov. 15, 1998
ISBN: 0-86264-799-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Collins & Brown/Trafalgar
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1998
Share your opinion of this book
More by Carlo Collodi
BOOK REVIEW
by Carlo Collodi illustrated by Fulvio Testa translated by Geoffrey Brock
BOOK REVIEW
by Fulvio Testa & illustrated by Fulvio Testa
by Eoin McLaughlin ; illustrated by Polly Dunbar ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 2, 2019
Watching unlikely friends finally be as “happy as two someones can be” feels like being enveloped in your very own hug.
What to do when you’re a prickly animal hankering for a hug? Why, find another misfit animal also searching for an embrace!
Sweet but “tricky to hug” little Hedgehog is down in the dumps. Wandering the forest, Hedgehog begs different animals for hugs, but each rejects them. Readers will giggle at their panicked excuses—an evasive squirrel must suddenly count its three measly acorns; a magpie begins a drawn-out song—but will also be indignant on poor hedgehog’s behalf. Hedgehog has the appealingly pink-cheeked softness typical of Dunbar’s art, and the gentle watercolors are nonthreatening, though she also captures the animals’ genuine concern about being poked. A wise owl counsels the dejected hedgehog that while the prickles may frighten some, “there’s someone for everyone.” That’s when Hedgehog spots a similarly lonely tortoise, rejected due to its “very hard” shell but perfectly matched for a spiky new friend. They race toward each other until the glorious meeting, marked with swoony peach swirls and overjoyed grins. At this point, readers flip the book to hear the same gloomy tale from the tortoise’s perspective until it again culminates in that joyous hug, a book turn that’s made a pleasure with thick creamy paper and solid binding.
Watching unlikely friends finally be as “happy as two someones can be” feels like being enveloped in your very own hug. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-571-34875-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
Share your opinion of this book
More by Eoin McLaughlin
BOOK REVIEW
by Eoin McLaughlin ; illustrated by Polly Dunbar
BOOK REVIEW
by Eoin McLaughlin ; illustrated by Marc Boutavant
BOOK REVIEW
by Eoin McLaughlin ; illustrated by Polly Dunbar
by Christian Robinson ; illustrated by Christian Robinson ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 5, 2019
A bright, open primer for Escher.
A young child discovers a portal to a whole other plane of perspective in Robinson’s latest.
In the dark of night, a portal opens in a small girl’s bedroom, the light attracting her cat. When the curious feline crawls through to chase another cat that looks just like it (but with a different color collar), the little girl cannot help but follow as well. Through the portal, the world goes topsy-turvy—up is down, right is left, and color and shape capriciously collide as the ever smiling girl and her cat move from plane to plane. The duo eventually happens upon other children, all playing with alternate versions of themselves, and after a few page turns, our protagonist—a girl of color with black, beaded braids—spots her alternate self as well. The pair share a few meaningful moments, exchanging smiles and cat toys, until eventually each returns to her bed with the small promise of further adventures to come. The simple geometry of Robinson’s work comes alive in this expanse of wordless narrative. A fearless use of white space and an utter disregard of conventions of direction encourage readers to engage with the physical book as the story unfolds, touching and turning it as they literally take the narrative into their hands.
A bright, open primer for Escher. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: March 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5344-2167-7
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2019
Share your opinion of this book
More by Amanda Gorman
BOOK REVIEW
by Amanda Gorman ; illustrated by Christian Robinson
BOOK REVIEW
by Mac Barnett ; illustrated by Christian Robinson
BOOK REVIEW
by Traci N. Todd ; illustrated by Christian Robinson
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.