This pleasantly mild hero’s journey is fabulous on the eye, but the narrative speaks more to nostalgic adults than children.
Two children quest while pondering the nature of friendship.
Pizzoli literally frames his story by placing a pair of children onstage, drawing and constructing props together. These pages are steeped in retro aesthetic, all heavily bordered by decorated columns and curtains in persimmon and gold. Likewise the children, a white boy and young girl of color, look nicely vintage too, with large, rounded heads reminiscent of classic characters such as Crockett Johnson’s Harold. After finding magical, Day-Glo orange stars, they exit the constraining stage, at which point their journey turns imaginary, and the illustrations deftly transition to expansive full-bleed spreads. Well-placed orange highlights, such as a luminous boat, guide the children through various adventures, and though these expeditions are undertaken separately, the friends are reassured that when the stars (both metaphorical and of the Day-Glo variety) lead them back together “after such a long, long time,” there will be “a big, long hug.” This narrative that muses about individuality, accepting others, and remaining close to friends is soothing and poetic, with words and phrases used repetitiously throughout. But the formality also feels incongruent with the playful visuals and approaches overt sentimentality: “I’ll turn toward the light, and wave in the darkness to say that I know you.”
This pleasantly mild hero’s journey is fabulous on the eye, but the narrative speaks more to nostalgic adults than children. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: April 3, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4847-5030-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
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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