A solid, though not groundbreaking, conversation starter on acceptance and openness.
A magical act of kindness resolves a small creature’s big identity crisis.
The narrator of this picture book appears to be a small bull calf with only one horn. After the protagonist reads from a book entitled Unicorns: Facts and Myths, that singular protuberance leads to the joyful titular declaration, “I’m a unicorn!” However, further reading and reflection on the matter soon provoke doubts. The narrator doesn’t “poop rainbows.” Nor do they “sparkle in the sunshine and twinkle in the moonlight,” and their mane does not “flow like silk and smell like peach candy.” After fretting over other self-perceived deficiencies, the narrator spies “REAL unicorns” in the distance and is terribly worried about what they will think of them. While the cartoon-style illustrations help to enhance the humor of the spare story, with the narrator displaying a range of expressions and contrasting sharply with the colorful elegance of the “REAL unicorns,” the resolution may strike some as too quick. It arrives when all concerns are laid to rest when the magical creatures nonchalantly accept the narrator as a unicorn—after all, the protagonist does have only one horn. The unicorns even offer a mysterious orb of a fruit to help with rainbow poops. Still, it’s a clever take on a well-trod topic that should spark conversations on identity. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A solid, though not groundbreaking, conversation starter on acceptance and openness. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5362-1976-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2022
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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