Younger readers with intermediate reading skills may have fun with the silliness and the surprises. (Fiction. 7-10)
By the end of their first night with babysitter Marge, 7-year-old Jemima’s 4-year-old brother, Jake, says, “We have a royal babysitter…but we have to babysit her!”
There are three chapters: “Marge Babysits,” “Marge at the Birthday Party,” and “Marge at Large in School.” Black-and-white illustrations in a Quentin Blake–esque style show some children of diverse backgrounds, but the main characters are white, middle-class, British—and stereotypical to a fault. Jemima, who narrates in present tense, is the respectful, obedient older daughter, worried about meeting all the requirements on her mother’s to-do lists; about being on time; about socializing; about Jake’s obstreperous behavior, which she generously calls “naughty.” In the first story, tiny Marge manipulates Jake into doing two things left on Mommy’s list primarily because of Mommy’s ineptness (and Dad’s apparent abdication of parenting): eating broccoli and washing his hair. Marge’s methods range from telling outrageous tales of her supposed previous life as a royal duchess to helping the children create enormous messes in the kitchen, bathroom, and bedrooms. When the mess still prevails with the parents five minutes away, there is no Cat in the Hat solution; somehow, the children manage to clean up while Marge falls asleep. Throughout the book, Marge vacillates between outlandish, sometimes-irresponsible behavior and jolly, imaginative storytelling and problem-solving.
Younger readers with intermediate reading skills may have fun with the silliness and the surprises. (Fiction. 7-10) (Fiction7-10)Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-06-266218-7
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
It’s inspiring, but it presents Lomong more as an object lesson than as a living person.
The story of a Sudanese “Lost Boy” who pursued and achieved his dream of running in the Olympics.
Seized at age 6 from his village by “rebel soldiers,” Lopepe (a nickname in his native Buya later altered to “Lopez”) escapes with other captives and runs for days to reach the U.N. refugee camp of Kakuma in Kenya. One day he joins a group of children watching the 2000 Olympics on a farmer’s battery-powered TV, and the sight of runner Michael Johnson fires up his ambition to become an Olympian himself. His adoption by a white New York couple and his recruitment by the trainer of a local high school’s cross-country team sends him on his way—to, ultimately, not only the 2008 (and, unacknowledged here, 2012) Games, but a joyful reunion with his biological parents, college, and a foundation dedicated to relief work in South Sudan. Except for name-dropping (notably a reference to “Brittany, the love of his life,” who gets no further mention) Eulate’s account is sketchy, particularly after Lomong’s arrival in the U.S., and thickly sentimental: he last appears figuratively receiving “the medal life gives you when you fulfill your dreams.” Uyá’s illustrations are likewise spare of detail, with stylized, folk-art–like human figures stiffly posed against near-featureless backgrounds.
It’s inspiring, but it presents Lomong more as an object lesson than as a living person. (Picture book/biography. 8-10)Pub Date: May 16, 2017
ISBN: 978-84-16733-15-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Cuento de Luz
Review Posted Online: Feb. 13, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A heartfelt tale of acceptance, tolerance, and grief.
In this thoughtful graphic novel, a human boy who believes himself to be part dog seeks acceptance for who he is.
Mickey’s brothers and sisters all have four legs. His ardently dog-loving parents are professional bloodhound breeders who never planned on having a child. His parents encourage Mickey to develop his own sense of smell, which becomes just as acute as his hound siblings’. However, when his parents suddenly die, he goes to stay with his estranged aunt and uncle, a much older couple who hate dogs and demand that Mickey start acting like a boy. Now in the throes of grief, Mickey must also struggle with having to conform to someone else’s idea of whom he should be. Yorinks spins a pensive yarn with a quiet undercurrent of magical realism. Despite the muted tone, his message about acknowledging people for who they are inside and not who others wish them to be is gently insistent and touching. Set against a bygone backdrop completely lacking in any nods to contemporary technology, Lamb and Paroline’s catchy three-color illustrations establish the retro-styled ambiance. Although the theme of acceptance permeates, readers should note that it does not address this in any racial context, as nearly all of the characters appear to be white.
A heartfelt tale of acceptance, tolerance, and grief. (Graphic fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: June 27, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-59643-452-3
Page Count: 112
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: March 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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