Despite potentially appealing art and a worthwhile anti-bullying theme, friendship and coming-of-age stories are better done...
At first this looks like one of those stories where the scary beast really isn’t, but it turns out the creature aptly named Spiky really is as bad as he looks.
Brown, spiny Spiky is so ugly he’s almost cute, with his googly eyes, exaggeratedly pursed lips, and absurdly skinny arms and hands. Some of the stuff he does doesn’t really seem so bad, like sticking his tongue out at trees, but some of it really is, such as pulling wings off butterflies, which jars readers out of initial levity. In a rather strange turn of events, his spikes fall off and he finds himself smooth, pink, and defenseless. There’s no reason stated for this or for how or why his spikes regrow, but during his time without them, he must learn how to get along with other creatures. Once his spikes regrow, he’s confused about how to act but ends up remaining his nicer self. Details in the digitally rendered art add amusement; from the fact that his houseplants are all cactuses to the mice—or perhaps tiny, frowning hedgehogs—running around his house also being spiky. Unfortunately, Spiky is bad and mean at first when he’s brown; he’s not mean or threatening when his skin is pink, which delivers a distressing, disturbing subtext.
Despite potentially appealing art and a worthwhile anti-bullying theme, friendship and coming-of-age stories are better done elsewhere. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5420-4043-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Amazon Crossing Kids
Review Posted Online: March 11, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
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
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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