A fine tourist’s introduction to Rio de Janeiro with eye-catching illustrations and likable characters, despite a few flaws.
A young boy’s family goes on another travel adventure in this series installment by author Godoy and illustrator Lenormand (Mori’s Family Adventures: Brazilian Culture Exchange, 2018, etc.).
The story starts with Mori and Valencia, two African-American children, wondering where their family will travel this year. Their parents soon announce that they’ll be going on a “dream vacation” to Rio de Janeiro. Grandma joins them on the trip and keeps the kids busy on the long flight. After they arrive, they all view the city’s skyscrapers from inside their taxicab. The family goes on to see all the highlights of Rio, including Copacabana Beach, the Christ the Redeemer statue, Sugarloaf Mountain, and Tijuca Rainforest. Godoy and Lenormand cleverly work several city landmarks into the plot as Mori and Valencia chase a teddy bear stealing–monkey through the city on their last day; in this way, they very naturally introduce a number of iconic locations. Lenormand’s cartoonish illustrations show the personalities of the family members and offer realistic representations of Rio landmarks. Mori and Valencia are charming main characters, and their family members are equally enjoyable. However, Godoy’s text is uneven. At one point, the narration says that the kids will be going to Rio de Janeiro “in a few days,” but then Dad immediately says that they’re leaving “in the morning.” There are also odd tense shifts, and sometimes the dialogue feels stilted and unrealistic. However, the brightly colored illustrations of Rio, which is known for its samba parade costumes and natural beauty, and the natural charm of Mori and Valencia overcome these flaws. The story is based on the adventures of the author and her family, and she includes photos of the real-life trip at the end of the book.
A fine tourist’s introduction to Rio de Janeiro with eye-catching illustrations and likable characters, despite a few flaws.Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-9994734-7-4
Page Count: -
Publisher: Black Sands Entertainment
Review Posted Online: Sept. 10, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character.
One of Boynton's signature characters celebrates Halloween.
It's Halloween time, and Pookie the pig is delighted. Mom helps the little porker pick out the perfect Halloween costume, a process that spans the entire board book. Using an abcb rhyme scheme, Boynton dresses Pookie in a series of cheerful costumes, including a dragon, a bunny, and even a caped superhero. Pookie eventually settles on the holiday classic, a ghost, by way of a bedsheet. Boynton sprinkles in amusing asides to her stanzas as Pookie offers costume commentary ("It's itchy"; "It's hot"; "I feel silly"). Little readers will enjoy the notion of transforming themselves with their own Halloween costumes while reading this book, and a few parents may get some ideas as well. Boynton's clean, sharp illustrations are as good as ever. This is Pookie's first holiday title, but readers will surely welcome more.
A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: July 7, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-553-51233-5
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Robin Corey/Random
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A charming tale of an athlete who may not steal any bases but who will certainly steal readers’ hearts.
Ohtani, pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, teams up with Blank and Liem to tell the story of how his dog, Decoy, threw out a ceremonial first pitch.
It’s a big day! Decoy leaps “off the bed. Then back onto the bed. Then off the bed.” The enthusiastic pup heads outside to practice with his lucky baseball but is quickly distracted by squirrels (“we’ll play later!”), airplanes (“flyin’ high!”), and flowers (“smell ya soon!”). Dog and pitcher then head to the ballpark. In the locker room, Decoy high-paws Shohei’s teammates. It’s nearly time! But as Shohei prepares to warm up, Decoy realizes that he’s forgotten something important: his lucky ball. Without it, there will be “no championships, no parades, and no hot dogs!” Back home he goes, returning just in time. With Shohei at the plate, Decoy runs from the mound to his owner, rolling the ball into Shohei’s mitt for a “Striiiiike!” Related from a dog’s point of view, Ohtani and Blank’s energetic text lends the tale a sense of urgency and suspense. Liem’s illustrations capture the excitement of the first day of baseball season and the joys of locker room camaraderie, as well as Shohei and Decoy’s mutual affection—even when the ball is drenched in slobber, Shohei’s love for his pet shines through, and clearly, Decoy is focused when it matters.
A charming tale of an athlete who may not steal any bases but who will certainly steal readers’ hearts. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
ISBN: 9780063460775
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2025
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