Sweet music is best heard by those who really listen.
Voices that join together make sweet music indeed.
Chipmunk lives on a rock, spending most of her days singing—“chirping”—songs that are happy, bittersweet, or sad. She really wants a singing partner. (Rock only listens.) On a walkabout, she encounters a pinecone whom she brings home, but Pinecone’s no better at singing than Rock is. Another day, Chipmunk finds a log she can’t move. Disconsolate, she sings a song “in my heart” laden with loneliness and defeat, which a listening raccoon appreciatively calls “sad” and “beautiful.” Raccoon helps with the log, but the pair’s efforts fail. Raccoon joins Chipmunk’s song, adding lyrics about frustration. A moose praises the duo’s tune, sung from “our hearts,” and offers pushing assistance. Moose’s strength finally dislodges the log, landing it…right near Rock and Pinecone. In the end, these objects become fast friends and perfect listeners to the songs that Chipmunk, Raccoon, and Moose sing together. This gentle, simply told story addresses the importance and enjoyment of friendship and collaboration. The eye-catching illustrations feature colors and patterns suggesting the emotional heft of Chipmunk’s airs; ample white space permits focus on the tale’s lively goings-on. The animal protagonists have engaging personalities and faces; their coats’ realistic furriness is achieved via the artist’s deft, swift strokes. (This book was reviewed digitally with 7-by-19-inch double-page spreads viewed at 43.5% of actual size.)
Sweet music is best heard by those who really listen. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 29, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-7002-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
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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