Although classics such as The Little Engine That Could may provide stronger examples of overcoming adversity, readers who...
In Nava’s debut picture book, an oversized peach pit overcomes his self-doubt with a small prayer.
The moment the other seeds first spot Peach Pit, they call him giant, ugly and wrinkled. Peach Pit, tormented by those words, says a little prayer and receives a response in the form of a whisper: “Just persevere a little, big pit.” Although Apple Seed takes pity on Peach Pit and eventually helps him interpret this advice, nasty Watermelon Seed ignores him—and is swept away when the rains come. When Apple and Peach grow into trees, their roles reverse, and Peach Tree encourages Apple Tree to hang in there when wind and rain try to rip its young roots out of the soil. Eventually, Peach Tree is the last one standing, and he, with the help of his conscience, struggles to complete his goal of bearing delicious fruit at harvest time. Nava does an admirable job of generating sympathy for the protagonist, who just wants to fit in and do his job well. She introduces concepts of prayer and perseverance in an easy, nondenominational manner. Aslan’s watercolor art is sweetly soothing, and the images of gentle clouds do suggest a supportive whisper from a higher power. The pages without text, however, contain a great deal of empty space, which may leave the reader wanting more visual material—although, admittedly, brown fruit seeds and brown saplings aren’t the most picturesque subjects. Some of the dialogue ends up feeling like missed opportunities; for example, in a jaunty, rhyming explanation, Apple Seed says, “To persevere means, you must try, try, try / until you reach your goal no matter how high.” But the rhyme dissolves as he continues, “But don’t waste your time. / A big apple tree I shall be, / but you will always be just an ugly pit.” The push and pull between rhyming and nonrhyming speech continues throughout the text, and a consistent method throughout would have strengthened the reading and learning experience.
Although classics such as The Little Engine That Could may provide stronger examples of overcoming adversity, readers who want to introduce little listeners to the power of prayer may enjoy Peach Pit’s spiritual journey.Pub Date: Feb. 19, 2013
ISBN: 978-0967506814
Page Count: 50
Publisher: Media For Life
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A headlong adventure about a boy who can reshape reality at will.
A boy’s amazing powers stand between Earth and total destruction.
In Limberger’s (Timestopper, 1998) latest YA fantasy novel, 11-year-old Johnny Twigum has always known he was different from ordinary people. Living with his mother in Cleveland (his father is a civilian contractor serving in the Persian Gulf) and leading a seemingly ordinary life, Johnny senses the thoughts of other people and feels a gap between him and other kids. The family receives the news that Johnny’s father has been killed in the Gulf, and Johnny’s world implodes. When Uncle Robert shows up with enigmatic warnings and a key to a safe-deposit box in Canada, the turmoil in Johnny’s life only deepens. Suddenly, forces seem to be aligning around Johnny: An attempt is made to kidnap him, and although he eludes it, he’s soon visited by a strange being named Kumo who, for lack of a better term, describes himself as a gnome (“Garden variety or forest?” Johnny’s mother quips). Kumo can be caustic and short-tempered (we’re told he has a “humongous ego”). He raises many questions, but he also brings answers. Johnny, he reveals, is one of those rare individuals whose chakra arrangement gives him amazing superpowers, including mental telepathy, transformation, invisibility and the capacity to use the 11th chakra to open “connection[s] to other worlds and dimensions.” Limberger presents all of these abilities as both awe-inspiring and as the products of science—quantum mechanics is invoked throughout, as is something called “quantum tunneling.” As Johnny attempts to master his powers, he’s still being relentlessly pursued by Jarvis Spinner and his nefarious associates (the type of eminently hissable villains who say things like ‘‘Faith? Bah! Certainty comes from your own will. Relying on the strength of others is a weakness”), who are intent on using Johnny’s powers for their own selfish purposes. The adventures that ensue, told with straightforward enthusiasm, will keep young readers turning pages.
A headlong adventure about a boy who can reshape reality at will.Pub Date: March 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0968138748
Page Count: 364
Publisher: Pug Enterprises Inc.
Review Posted Online: June 7, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A bright, simple children’s story about the power of working together.
A splashy children’s story about bullying and friendship.
Bright-blue boat Sunny Laport is ready to hit the water, and Harvey the forklift happily pulls him from storage. Following a quick tow from Randel the shiny truck, Sunny is soon in the cool blue lake. He creeps quietly through the No Wake zone, then revs his motor and takes off to meet up with his boat friends, who are already waiting to see him. Sunny, red speedboat Tommy and old wooden boat Chris have a great time together, and they meet pink sports craft Molly G on the way to the sandbar. They spend a lovely day racing around the lake until Sharky, a sleek, black racer, comes along to tease and insult the group and rough Chris up. After he leaves, the crew continues on and runs into a few more obstacles they must work together to overcome. Jenkins’ love for boating shines brightly throughout his debut, which appears to be aimed at very young children; older kids may be less excited by its simple story and illustrations. Its overarching theme is clear: When friends put their heads together, they can accomplish anything. (Sunny even goes so far as to tell his friends how proud he is of them.) The book touches upon the hot-button issue of bullying, helpfully encouraging the audience to find support in friends and others around them. The story ends abruptly after the key conflict is resolved, however, and might have benefited from a few more pages to wrap things up—or perhaps a note on what happened to the gang. Jenkins’ illustrations are rudimentary but colorful and may engage kids who are interested in boats, trucks and other vehicles.
A bright, simple children’s story about the power of working together.Pub Date: Jan. 3, 2012
ISBN: 978-1468536782
Page Count: 40
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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