bookshelf

ISLA AND THE SKY

Name: ISLA AND THE SKY
Author: Greg Stobbs
ISBN: 9781623715328

by Greg Stobbs ; illustrated by Greg Stobbs ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 6, 2026

A heartfelt exploration of the importance of truly expressing one’s emotions, with a meteorological angle.

bookshelf

A young girl loves to paint the sky, but the sky doesn’t feel worthy of her art.

Isla looks upward; she adores the sky, whether it’s stormy, sunny, or moody and flat. She swishes her paintbrush across the paper, capturing each shimmering color. The sky, a towering girl whose flowing locks stretch across the town, is feeling particularly rainy one day. Her hair is awash with deep purples, blues, and grays. Hearing the grumbles of the people below—“Such a dreary sky,” “Awful weather”—Sky feels self-conscious. People don’t like her unless she’s bright and happy. So she decides to beam every day, regardless of how she is feeling. The days are filled with brilliant blues and yellows; every night is clear, with silvery stars on deep black swirls. But without the rain, the vegetation begins to falter. Isla’s paintings just might be what is needed to convince both Sky and the townspeople that varied weather is essential—and beautiful. Stobbs’ jewel-toned palette and textured swirls of paint enhance the joyful text. Isla and Sky are pale-skinned; the village residents are diverse.

A heartfelt exploration of the importance of truly expressing one’s emotions, with a meteorological angle. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2026

ISBN: 9781623715328

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Crocodile/Interlink

Review Posted Online: June 1, 2026

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
GOD IS HERE
by Lisa Tawn Bergren ; illustrated by Greg Stobbs

- BOOK REVIEW
DON'T ASK THE DRAGON
by Lemn Sissay ; illustrated by Greg Stobbs

bookshelf

ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

bookshelf

Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: June 21, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
A PERFECT PLACE TO PLAY
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Jim Valeri

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

bookshelf

THE MOST MAGNIFICENT THING

by Ashley Spires ; illustrated by Ashley Spires ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2014

Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle...

bookshelf

Making things is difficult work. Readers will recognize the stages of this young heroine’s experience as she struggles to realize her vision.

First comes anticipation. The artist/engineer is spotted jauntily pulling a wagonload of junkyard treasures. Accompanied by her trusty canine companion, she begins drawing plans and building an assemblage. The narration has a breezy tone: “[S]he makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!” The colorful caricatures and creations contrast with the digital black outlines on a white background that depict an urban neighborhood. Intermittent blue-gray panels break up the white expanses on selected pages showing sequential actions. When the first piece doesn’t turn out as desired, the protagonist tries again, hoping to achieve magnificence. A model of persistence, she tries many adjustments; the vocabulary alone offers constructive behaviors: she “tinkers,” “wrenches,” “fiddles,” “examines,” “stares” and “tweaks.” Such hard work, however, combines with disappointing results, eventually leading to frustration, anger and injury. Explosive emotions are followed by defeat, portrayed with a small font and scaled-down figures. When the dog, whose expressions have humorously mirrored his owner’s through each phase, retrieves his leash, the resulting stroll serves them well. A fresh perspective brings renewed enthusiasm and—spoiler alert—a most magnificent scooter sidecar for a loyal assistant.

Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle characterization for maximum delight. (Picture book. 4-7)