Slight and silly—but not too boring.
A young tot is just plain bored in this Italian import.
Poor Ben. His favorite color is light gray. His favorite sport is sitting. Lackluster and dull are just fine for him. His parents try everything to generate some excitement in him—advice from doctors, silly clowns with crazy antics—but nothing seems to help. Even his appearance matches his personality: sullen and a bit droopy. One day, Ben declares he is the “Supreme King of Boredom.” After all, he’s quite good at it. But then he decides that every king needs a throne, so he makes one out of cardboard. And of course, what good is a throne if there is not a castle? He busily constructs that, too. Once he adds the royal court—including a queen—he just may not be his usual boring self anymore! In an intriguing twist, Guarducci doesn’t take the obvious route by depicting other humans as playmates; instead, Ben’s friends are stuffed animals. Even the queen, in a wedding ceremony of exchanged bored vows, is a toy. Ben uses the same items that were visible during his most boring of days and switches his outlook. His growing imagination “almost” gives him a fairy-tale ending. But…it’s still good to be bored every once in a while. Heavy-lidded Ben presents white, as do his parents and many of the other characters who briefly interact with him.
Slight and silly—but not too boring. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 28, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7643-5974-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Schiffer
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Simple acts of kindness that warm the heart.
“Kindness is sometimes / a cup and a card.” Wait! What?
Yes, kindness is a cup and a card—when someone uses them to gently trap a ladybug inside and release it outside. With a simple rhyming text and softly colored illustrations of community scenes, each page shows neighbors, professionals, and strangers modeling simple acts of kindness toward people and animals. A child rakes leaves for an older neighbor, another brings soup to someone who is “sneezy,” and one even shares a book via a clever bucket delivery system. As neighboring businesses, a flower seller swaps a bouquet for peaches with a grocer. A fireman rescues a cat from a tree, park security helps a lost child, and an ice cream vendor gives a cone to a young skater who has fallen. Even strangers act with kindness and return a dropped key, snap a picture for a vacationing family, and adopt a dog that “others ignore.” From infants to grandparents, people in this busy and diverse community come together to enjoy one another and their common interests. Illustrations show a girl wearing a hijab, a child in a wheelchair playing badminton with friends, and interracial families.
Simple acts of kindness that warm the heart. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 29, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-250-23789-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Godwin Books
Review Posted Online: June 29, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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