A moving tale about the power of community and love.
A Palestinian child learns why olive trees are so special.
Salam’s Sido (Arabic for Grandfather) explains that olive trees are “strong and resilient, and their roots run deep in this land.” The trees connect the entire community, from Samir, the farmer who picks the olives, to Teta Dalal, who serves them to her visitors each afternoon. Salam plants an olive tree, too, and waits weeks for it to grow. Salam and Sido are thrilled to see a small sprout emerging. But one day soldiers arrive, destroying everything—including the tiny olive tree. Sido comforts Salam, and at his urging, their friends and neighbors plant more trees: “Just like the olive trees, we are part of this land,” he says. “And just like the olive trees, when they try to break us, we grow back stronger.” Elbayya’s simple, direct language pairs well with her sepia-toned, loose-lined cartoons, capturing Salam’s childish exuberance, the relationship between grandfather and grandchild, and the resilience of the community. Though tinged with a whimsical flair—the sun smiles as Salam plants the tree, a helpful little bird appears throughout—the scenes turn grim as the soldiers arrive. While the author’s note expands on the significance of olive trees to the Palestinian people, neither the backmatter nor the story itself explains who the soldiers are or why they’ve come; with historical context from educators or caregivers, however, this tale could be a starting point for further discussion.
A moving tale about the power of community and love. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2024
ISBN: 9780593810224
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Anne Schwartz/Random
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
Readers can still rely on this series to bring laughs.
The Heffley family’s house undergoes a disastrous attempt at home improvement.
When Great Aunt Reba dies, she leaves some money to the family. Greg’s mom calls a family meeting to determine what to do with their share, proposing home improvements and then overruling the family’s cartoonish wish lists and instead pushing for an addition to the kitchen. Before bringing in the construction crew, the Heffleys attempt to do minor maintenance and repairs themselves—during which Greg fails at the work in various slapstick scenes. Once the professionals are brought in, the problems keep getting worse: angry neighbors, terrifying problems in walls, and—most serious—civil permitting issues that put the kibosh on what work’s been done. Left with only enough inheritance to patch and repair the exterior of the house—and with the school’s dismal standardized test scores as a final straw—Greg’s mom steers the family toward moving, opening up house-hunting and house-selling storylines (and devastating loyal Rowley, who doesn’t want to lose his best friend). While Greg’s positive about the move, he’s not completely uncaring about Rowley’s action. (And of course, Greg himself is not as unaffected as he wishes.) The gags include effectively placed callbacks to seemingly incidental events (the “stress lizard” brought in on testing day is particularly funny) and a lampoon of after-school-special–style problem books. Just when it seems that the Heffleys really will move, a new sequence of chaotic trouble and property destruction heralds a return to the status quo. Whew.
Readers can still rely on this series to bring laughs. (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 8-12)Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4197-3903-3
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2019
SEEN & HEARD
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren.
In talk-show host Fallon and illustrator Ordóñez’s latest picture-book collaboration, an elderly pooch waxes rhapsodic about a life well lived.
Observing Papa sitting in his chair watching TV all day, a young pup says, “I’m starting to think…you don’t do ANYTHING.” So Papa proceeds to list his accomplishments, both big and small, mundane and profound. Some are just a result of being older and physically bigger (being tall enough to reach a high shelf and strong enough to open jars); others include winning a race and performing in a band when he was younger. Eventually, the pup realizes that while Papa may have slowed down in his old age, he’s led a full life. The most satisfying thing about Papa’s life now? Watching his grandchild take center stage: “I can say lots of thoughts / but I choose to be quiet. / I’d rather you discover things and then try it.” Fallon’s straightforward text is sweetly upbeat, though it occasionally lacks flow, forcing incongruous situations together to fit the rhyme scheme (“I cook and I mow, / and I once flew a plane. // I play newspaper puzzles because it’s good for my brain”). Featuring uncluttered, colorful backgrounds, Ordóñez’s child-friendly digital art at times takes on sepia tones, evoking the sense of looking back at old photos or memories. Though the creators tread familiar ground, the love between Papa and his little one is palpable.
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781250393975
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
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