For readers seeking ways to express themselves or calm their emotions, this introduction to meditation through one child’s...
A boy in Saudi Arabia sees a storm as a parallel to his own fears and becomes inspired by animals to find inner peace in this story from a yoga therapist.
Members of Ahmed’s family, who appear to be Bedouins, have traveled across the desert to race their camels in an important gathering. Unlike his relatives, who are excited, Ahmed is afraid of his first race. He leaves his tent to spend time with his camel, Jamal. In the quiet, he notices a golden spiny mouse and a Saker falcon. In the distance, he sees a sandstorm, and he realizes that, like the chaos of the tempest, his emotions are causing turmoil in his body. Similar to the protagonist of Manly’s (Nothando’s Journey, 2016) earlier picture book, Ahmed explores his inner life through observing the animals around him. But because Ahmed’s meditation is tranquil, this work lacks some of the vibrant movement of the previous volume. Yet the importance of deep breathing and looking for positive emotions within any turbulence comes through clearly, and the subdued tone of the text skillfully encourages readers to meditate. The author’s earth-toned illustrations, a mix of pen and paint, offer both realistic depictions of the animals and setting and a successful metaphoric expression of Ahmed’s inner life. Three meditation exercises, tied to the narrative, are provided in the endpapers.
For readers seeking ways to express themselves or calm their emotions, this introduction to meditation through one child’s experience delivers a solid starting point.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-9980220-0-0
Page Count: 27
Publisher: JABU Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
Wonderful, indeed
A love song to baby with delightful illustrations to boot.
Sweet but not saccharine and singsong but not forced, Martin’s text is one that will invite rereadings as it affirms parental wishes for children while admirably keeping child readers at its heart. The lines that read “This is the first time / There’s ever been you, / So I wonder what wonderful things / You will do” capture the essence of the picture book and are accompanied by a diverse group of babies and toddlers clad in downright adorable outfits. Other spreads include older kids, too, and pictures expand on the open text to visually interpret the myriad possibilities and hopes for the depicted children. For example, a spread reading “Will you learn how to fly / To find the best view?” shows a bespectacled, school-aged girl on a swing soaring through an empty white background. This is just one spread in which Martin’s fearless embrace of the white of the page serves her well. Throughout the book, she maintains a keen balance of layout choices, and surprising details—zebras on the wallpaper behind a father cradling his child, a rock-’n’-roll band of mice paralleling the children’s own band called “The Missing Teeth”—add visual interest and gentle humor. An ideal title for the baby-shower gift bag and for any nursery bookshelf or lap-sit storytime.
Wonderful, indeed . (Picture book. 1-4)Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-385-37671-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: June 5, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2015
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