Extraordinary in craft and tender in feeling.
A Caldecott Honor winner charts the full arc of a cat’s life—and its owner’s love—in one of the most visually inventive picture books in recent memory.
Tamaki turns adjectives into an effective narrative engine. Most pages are anchored by a short phrase—“queenly cat,” “dreaming cat,” “ancient cat”—and the accumulation of these brief, precise descriptors traces an entire relationship from hopeful adoption to heartbreak. The protagonist, a dark-haired, dark-eyed, tan-skinned person whom we follow from childhood into young adulthood, ages alongside the feline. The art, created on stretched fabric including thrifted bedsheets, combines acrylic ink with crewel embroidery to lovely effect. Color does heavy lifting throughout: lime green indicating mischief (the naughty cat raiding the holiday table), warm yellows for the slowing days of old age, inky midnight blue for grief. The dream sequences are a particular triumph; the sleeping cat transforms into a lion roaring across a savanna, a tutu-clad ballerina partnered with a mouse, a great wave-riding sea creature—each fantastical form still recognizable because of those expressive embroidered eyes and that distinctive gray-and-white fur. The final spreads, depicting a small figure waving into vast cloudy blue as a star-spangled cat leaps through the cosmos, earn their quiet devastation before Tamaki brings her tale to a joyous conclusion, with the owner deciding to adopt a new pet.
Extraordinary in craft and tender in feeling. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2026
ISBN: 9780593694312
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2026
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle...
Making things is difficult work. Readers will recognize the stages of this young heroine’s experience as she struggles to realize her vision.
First comes anticipation. The artist/engineer is spotted jauntily pulling a wagonload of junkyard treasures. Accompanied by her trusty canine companion, she begins drawing plans and building an assemblage. The narration has a breezy tone: “[S]he makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!” The colorful caricatures and creations contrast with the digital black outlines on a white background that depict an urban neighborhood. Intermittent blue-gray panels break up the white expanses on selected pages showing sequential actions. When the first piece doesn’t turn out as desired, the protagonist tries again, hoping to achieve magnificence. A model of persistence, she tries many adjustments; the vocabulary alone offers constructive behaviors: she “tinkers,” “wrenches,” “fiddles,” “examines,” “stares” and “tweaks.” Such hard work, however, combines with disappointing results, eventually leading to frustration, anger and injury. Explosive emotions are followed by defeat, portrayed with a small font and scaled-down figures. When the dog, whose expressions have humorously mirrored his owner’s through each phase, retrieves his leash, the resulting stroll serves them well. A fresh perspective brings renewed enthusiasm and—spoiler alert—a most magnificent scooter sidecar for a loyal assistant.
Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle characterization for maximum delight. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-55453-704-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2014
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