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LENA'S SLIPPERS

Name: LENA'S SLIPPERS
Author: Ioana Hobai
ISBN: 978-1-62414-695-4

by Ioana Hobai ; illustrated by Ioana Hobai ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 11, 2019

Ballet lovers will feel a strong kinship with this aspiring ballerina.

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Perseverance and determination help a little girl take part in her school’s ballet performance.

Lena, who has short, straight brown hair and wears a school uniform, is so very excited to be dancing in a student recital. She will join the others as a daffodil. Unfortunately, material for the costume is hard to find in her town, and Lena has outgrown last year’s. There are lines at the stores for everything, including milk. Happily, she and her mother do find the almost right fabric, but all the white ballet slippers are sold out. Lena is upset, but with a little help from her unsuspecting father, who is a painter, she comes up with a perfect if not long-lasting solution. The performance wows the audience. Hobai, debuting as an author, grew up in Romania and has set her little story in an unnamed country with strict rules, often bare shelves, and a seemingly all-white citizenry. Her ink, watercolor, and acrylic illustrations deftly convey Lena’s many facial expressions, from worry to joy, and their fluid lines are the right touch to portray little dancers. Adults sharing this book with children may need to provide a little background information about Communist-era Eastern Europe, but many children today will understand the economic hardships faced regardless.

Ballet lovers will feel a strong kinship with this aspiring ballerina. (author’s note, photograph) (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: June 11, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-62414-695-4

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Page Street

Review Posted Online: March 11, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

- BOOK REVIEW
A WHALE OF A MISTAKE
by Ioana Hobai ; illustrated by Ioana Hobai

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THERE'S A ROCK CONCERT IN MY BEDROOM

by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas ; illustrated by Courtney Dawson ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 29, 2022

Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.

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Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.

Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)

Pub Date: March 29, 2022

ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin

Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

- BOOK REVIEW
THERE'S A BEACH IN MY BEDROOM
by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas ; illustrated by Courtney Dawson

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THE QUACKEN

by Justin Colón ; illustrated by Pablo Pino ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 16, 2024

Pitch-perfect tension and delightful silliness.

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The legend of a giant, dangerous duck at Cucumonga Campground looms large.

Young Hector and his family are on vacation. Everything seems pleasant except for the many objects that have gone missing and the warnings Hector keeps receiving. Everyone tells him not to interact with the ducks. Don’t go near them, don’t look at them, and absolutely, positively, do not feed them. To further emphasize the point, “DO NOT FEED THE DUCKS” signs pop up every few feet at the campground. So what does Hector do? He feeds the ducks. They just look so cute and hungry. Amid the many feathers flapping, a large, foreboding shadow suddenly crosses the lake. Colón builds suspense through short, clipped narration. The weather turns ominous, and people flee in terror—it’s…THE QUACKEN! The fearsome, colossal wildfowl has appeared! It’s always one step ahead of Hector until there is no escape. Hector is popped into the duck’s bill like a delicious morsel. But, luckily for Hector, “children taste terrible.” Reminiscent of old, cheesy horror films, this tale will make a hilariously over-the-top read-aloud. Pino ramps up the drama in his illustrations, alternating full-page spreads with graphic novel–like panels and vignettes. Hector and his family are brown-skinned, while other campers are racially diverse.

Pitch-perfect tension and delightful silliness. (Picture book. 4-7)