An imaginative and artistic depiction of collaboration.
Campagna explores the unique gifts individuals bring to relationships in this picture book.
Marker and Lid (a magic marker and its cap) spend every day together. Lid’s strength, loyalty, patience, and supportiveness complement Marker’s boldness, creativity, and thoughtfulness. “The two just ‘clicked,’ right from the start,” the author explains. Marker’s “tricky” designs and “swoopy” ideas entertain Lid, who keeps Marker “bright and beautiful.” As Marker’s creative reputation grows, Lid begins to feel ignored and inferior. One day, while Marker and Lid are outside, a great wind blows each of them in opposite directions. Marker soon dries out and becomes weak and tired. Lid knows it must reach Marker and summons the courage and perseverance to do so. When they reunite, Marker praises Lid for saving both of them. Campagna’s Marker and Lid characters are dynamic and well developed. The storyline charts the relatable ups and downs of friendships, and the book includes a “Mindful Moments With Marker and Lid” section that highlights learning opportunities present throughout the text; readers are encouraged to consider their special gifts, try deep breathing exercises when they feel frustrated, and use positive self-talk. Campagna’s whimsical illustrations evoke the tenderness and joy of Marker and Lid’s friendship. However, while the blue-and-white color scheme does infuse the book with a calm vibe and aligns with Marker’s monochromatic nature, incorporating other hues might have made for a more visually stimulating read.
An imaginative and artistic depiction of collaboration.Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9798990897113
Page Count: 34
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: March 5, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
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