A lovely interpretation of curiosity and wonder.
A young Carl Sagan ponders the mysteries of the universe.
What was the astronomer and host of the television series Cosmos like as a boy? He began by asking questions. As young Carl fantasizes about what it would be like to be smaller, Yang depicts a block-shaped child dwindling in size “until he [can] visit atoms floating around him.” The tiny Carl looks up at big bold red and blue molecules, observes atoms creating cells, and concludes, “If every living thing is made of cells, then everything is connected.” Then Carl mulls what would happen if he could grow bigger “and visit the stars. Stars [are] made of atoms, too.” Yang lines up Carl’s big, round face alongside planets, illustrating the vastness of his imagination. This point becomes literal when Carl figures out that he needs “something special…to answer his questions”: a spaceship named Imagination. The ship launches a journey to Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn (and Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons), each a vivid world of geometric shapes and swirls. Yang frames the story with illustrations depicting Carl daydreaming as he gazes out of his backlit apartment window on a starry night filled with deep shades of blue. Young Carl stands in for every child who’s ever asked big questions and considered how to answer them. The first step, as Yang makes beautifully clear, is always imagination.
A lovely interpretation of curiosity and wonder. (author’s note) (Informational picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 1, 2025
ISBN: 9780593693070
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.
Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.
Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464268076
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026
Readers will agree that “Melba Doretta Liston was something special.”
Bewitched by the rhythms of jazz all around her in Depression-era Kansas City, little Melba Doretta Liston longs to make music in this fictional account of a little-known jazz great.
Picking up the trombone at 7, the little girl teaches herself to play with the support of her Grandpa John and Momma Lucille, performing on the radio at 8 and touring as a pro at just 17. Both text and illustrations make it clear that it’s not all easy for Melba; “The Best Service for WHITES ONLY” reads a sign in a hotel window as the narrative describes a bigotry-plagued tour in the South with Billie Holiday. But joy carries the day, and the story ends on a high note, with Melba “dazzling audiences and making headlines” around the world. Russell-Brown’s debut text has an innate musicality, mixing judicious use of onomatopoeia with often sonorous prose. Morrison’s sinuous, exaggerated lines are the perfect match for Melba’s story; she puts her entire body into her playing, the exaggerated arch of her back and thrust of her shoulders mirroring the curves of her instrument. In one thrilling spread, the evening gown–clad instrumentalist stands over the male musicians, her slide crossing the gutter while the back bow disappears off the page to the left. An impressive discography complements a two-page afterword and a thorough bibliography.
Readers will agree that “Melba Doretta Liston was something special.” (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-60060-898-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
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