Frothy and fun, Nancy’s latest adventure feels as fresh as her first appearance.
Given the obvious opportunities, it’s remarkable that it took O’Connor and Glasser eight years to place their pulchritudinous picture-book phenom into a wedding-themed tale—but the wait was worth it.
The setup is simple: Nancy’s uncle is getting married, and the whole family is invited. The fact that the wedding is in two weeks might give readers a clue that it’s not exactly a formal affair, but Nancy immediately assumes that: a) it will be very fancy; and b) she’ll be the flower girl. A tackle box packed into the car along with the luggage provides a second clue to the true nature of the event. Nonetheless, the author and illustrator treat readers to a vision of opulence and elegance as the family arrives at a grand hotel and celebrates in style. Turns out that’s just a dream, though, and the ultimate destination is actually a lakeside cabin. Though Uncle Cal and his fiancee, Dawn, have their own ideas about how to get hitched, Dawn is savvy enough to accept a loan from Nancy that adds a certain over-the-top element to her ensemble and satisfies Nancy’s ever present urge to make the world more beautiful. Appealing, expressive illustrations complement the text’s cheerful tone and help to keep the sweet story from becoming saccharine.
Frothy and fun, Nancy’s latest adventure feels as fresh as her first appearance. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 8, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-06-208319-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: April 29, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Embedded in this heartwarming story of doing the right thing is a deft examination of the pressures of income inequality on...
Continuing from their acclaimed Those Shoes (2007), Boelts and Jones entwine conversations on money, motives, and morality.
This second collaboration between author and illustrator is set within an urban multicultural streetscape, where brown-skinned protagonist Ruben wishes for a bike like his friend Sergio’s. He wishes, but Ruben knows too well the pressure his family feels to prioritize the essentials. While Sergio buys a pack of football cards from Sonny’s Grocery, Ruben must buy the bread his mom wants. A familiar lady drops what Ruben believes to be a $1 bill, but picking it up, to his shock, he discovers $100! Is this Ruben’s chance to get himself the bike of his dreams? In a fateful twist, Ruben loses track of the C-note and is sent into a panic. After finally finding it nestled deep in a backpack pocket, he comes to a sense of moral clarity: “I remember how it was for me when that money that was hers—then mine—was gone.” When he returns the bill to her, the lady offers Ruben her blessing, leaving him with double-dipped emotions, “happy and mixed up, full and empty.” Readers will be pleased that there’s no reward for Ruben’s choice of integrity beyond the priceless love and warmth of a family’s care and pride.
Embedded in this heartwarming story of doing the right thing is a deft examination of the pressures of income inequality on children. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6649-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers.
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
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