In a first-person, rhyming narration, an unnamed little boy recounts being forced to attend a party by his Aunt Matilda of the “oh-so-perfect manners” and the “oh-so-perfect friends.” Bored and exhausted, the boy falls asleep in an armchair and begins to dream. In his dreams, the boring party morphs into a boisterous free-for-all, in which the guests all wind up throwing pies at each other. In dreamland, the boy has a change of heart about his Aunt and invites her to participate in his birthday baseball game. In muted colors and much detail, the illustrations depict both the real party and the dream party with the same combination of realism and whimsy. The illustrations also do the job of clearly indicating with a palette modulation that the boy is asleep and remains dreaming through the rest of the tale. A pleasing-enough romp but with an ending somehow unsatisfying, probably because readers know that the boy’s fond memories and new appreciation for Aunt Matilda will vanish—rather undeservedly, as the last scene depicts her lovingly covering him with a blanket—when he wakes up. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-59078-653-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Front Street/Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2009
An infectiously gleeful celebration of art and being true to yourself.
A young iconoclast shakes things up.
Debut author Cho introduces us to the rambunctious Olive Chen, who lives in an orderly, monochromatic town and enjoys splattering, smearing, and licking paint to create exuberantly colorful masterpieces. Olive believes that she is the “most magnificent and brilliant artist in the whole wide world.” Her parents, on the other hand, have their doubts. Serious artists, they wonder when Olive will paint perfectly precise squares and triangles just like them. They send her to art class, but even after a year of lessons Olive does not paint any shapes. She does, however, find admirers among her classmates, who ask her to teach them her trademark style. Together, they envelop the town with an explosion of color, all the way to her parents’ museum….This humorous tale has an undeniable charm and serves as a reminder to serious adults of the wonderful possibilities of embracing new ways of thinking and doing. Cho perfectly captures the pure effervescent joy of children creating art with her vibrant use of color and Olive’s wide-mouthed, exaggerated expressions as she romps about. Readers will enjoy poring over the small details and stories hidden within the town before, during, and after the color transformation. Olive and her parents are cued Chinese; her classmates are diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An infectiously gleeful celebration of art and being true to yourself. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2023
ISBN: 9780063237490
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2023
Delicious and affirming.
A young boy of Peranakan Chinese descent would love to help Mamah and his aunties cook a feast for Lunar New Year’s Eve, but will they let him?
Jin’s grandmother Mamah is the heart of their home. He is entranced by the wonderful smells coming from her kitchen as she prepares for a big family reunion dinner. Jin’s three aunties ask his sisters to help, but even though none of them are interested, nobody asks Jin. “Babas never got asked—only Nyonyas did.” So, gathering his courage, he announces, “I can help.” The aunties brush him off, assuming that a boy would only get in the way, but Mamah comes to the rescue: “I don’t see anything wrong with Jin learning if he wants to.” Jin’s excitement at helping Mamah cook is palpable in Lee’s sensory-laden text (“The sizzle of her stuffed fried fish sounded like music”), and the two have a blast pounding, pressing, squeezing, slicing, and crying with laughter. Soon they have a feast of Peranakan Chinese delights, and Jin even learns some of Mamah’s secrets, like her father’s laksa recipe. Colorful digital illustrations with a cartoony look do a fine job of conveying the action, and the slightly contrived climactic moment for Jin is easily overlooked for the bigger message of allowing kids to explore their interests and connect with family. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Delicious and affirming. (author’s note, recipe) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Nov. 14, 2023
ISBN: 9780374389857
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Aug. 12, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
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