by Jeanne Willis ; illustrated by Adrian Reynolds ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2015
Elephant may fail spectacularly, but this is a success story through and through.
The old adage that if you dream it, you can do it gets (rightfully) turned on its head in this sweet concoction.
Monkey can jump. Lion can jump. Even Giraffe can jump, so why can’t Elephant? The grown-up elephants’ answers sound pretty vague (“It’s just the way we’re made”; “Something to do with our knees”), so young Elephant sets out to prove them wrong. After each failed attempt Elephant is teased by the animals that can jump and eventually gives up and gorges himself instead. Seeking a good sulking place, he discovers a boy stranded on a ledge and in need of rescue. The other animals attempt to use their jumping skills to save him but instead only worsen the situation. It’s Elephant, who now discovers his own true talent, who saves the day. Willis’ text balances out the nicely sardonic world of adults with the in-your-face optimism of kids. At no point does Elephant ever jump, and so the message of accepting what can and cannot be changed remains strong. Elephant’s turn to food as a comfort for his failures seems rather adult and out of place. But Reynolds’ choice to keep Elephant from visibly reacting to each failure endows the main character with a deadpan humor that should appeal to preschoolers.
Elephant may fail spectacularly, but this is a success story through and through. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4677-6316-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Andersen Press USA
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2014
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by Pip Jones ; illustrated by Sara Ogilvie ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2020
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
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by Tom Percival ; illustrated by Tom Percival ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 3, 2019
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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