by Jason Tharp ; illustrated by Jason Tharp ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 4, 2020
A sweet and goofy addition to the unicorns-embrace-their-uniqueness shelf.
Cornelius J. Sparklesteed knows he’s different, but he’s not sure that’s OK.
On the isle of Hoofington, the Hoofapalooza festival celebrates “everything horse-tastic.” Haberdasher Cornelius finds himself called to Mayor Mare’s office; the mayor wants the “most un-unicorny hat” that Cornelius can make for him for Hoofapalooza. You see, the horses of Hoofington say some pretty mean things about unicorns (“Their horns are too sharp!”; “They fart rainbows!”). That’s why Cornelius always hides his horn under a hat. The hat Cornelius makes for the mayor is so fantastic that Mare asks Cornelius to perform at Hoofapalooza. On Monday, Cornelius meets his doughnut-making friend Tilly and suggests some creative ideas for new flavors. On Tuesday, he meets painter Hablo and suggests rainbows for his Hoofapalooza mural. Wednesday, he offers tips to DJ Salad. And all week, Cornelius works on his costume, making it bright and sparkly, and broods about the mean things he’s heard around the island. As he prepares to perform, he sees his creative friends have used and improved on his ideas…and he puts on the pranciest of dance performances with a hats-off finish to the astonished cheers of the audience. Tharp’s good-natured fable is bright and rainbow-y, with equines painted in fanciful colors. Its lightness and pep present a weighty subject in a way that will resonate with any who have felt “other.”
A sweet and goofy addition to the unicorns-embrace-their-uniqueness shelf. (Picture book. 3-9)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-31132-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Imprint
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
Share your opinion of this book
More by Jason Tharp
BOOK REVIEW
by Jason Tharp ; illustrated by Jason Tharp
BOOK REVIEW
by Jason Tharp ; illustrated by Jason Tharp
BOOK REVIEW
by Jason Tharp ; illustrated by Jason Tharp
by Sybil Rosen ; illustrated by Camille Garoche ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 16, 2021
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
Share your opinion of this book
Awards & Accolades
Likes
12
New York Times Bestseller
IndieBound Bestseller
by Adam Rubin & illustrated by Daniel Salmieri ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 14, 2012
A wandering effort, happy but pointless.
Awards & Accolades
Likes
12
New York Times Bestseller
IndieBound Bestseller
The perfect book for kids who love dragons and mild tacos.
Rubin’s story starts with an incantatory edge: “Hey, kid! Did you know that dragons love tacos? They love beef tacos and chicken tacos. They love really big gigantic tacos and tiny little baby tacos as well.” The playing field is set: dragons, tacos. As a pairing, they are fairly silly, and when the kicker comes in—that dragons hate spicy salsa, which ignites their inner fireworks—the silliness is sillier still. Second nature, after all, is for dragons to blow flames out their noses. So when the kid throws a taco party for the dragons, it seems a weak device that the clearly labeled “totally mild” salsa comes with spicy jalapenos in the fine print, prompting the dragons to burn down the house, resulting in a barn-raising at which more tacos are served. Harmless, but if there is a parable hidden in the dragon-taco tale, it is hidden in the unlit deep, and as a measure of lunacy, bridled or unbridled, it doesn’t make the leap into the outer reaches of imagination. Salmieri’s artwork is fitting, with a crabbed, ethereal line work reminiscent of Peter Sís, but the story does not offer it enough range.
A wandering effort, happy but pointless. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3680-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
Share your opinion of this book
More In The Series
by Adam Rubin ; illustrated by Daniel Salmieri
More by Adam Rubin
BOOK REVIEW
by Adam Rubin
BOOK REVIEW
by Adam Rubin ; illustrated by Daniel Salmieri , Charles Santoso , Liniers , Emily Hughes , Nicole Miles & Seaerra Miller
BOOK REVIEW
by Adam Rubin ; illustrated by Adam Rex
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.