A quirky tale of tails with an endearing narrator whom young girls would love to befriend.
In this middle-grade fable, an intelligent and empathetic preteen is enlisted to help a mermaid fix her “wrong tail.”
Twelve-year-old Samantha Ford knows she’s lucky to live a privileged life in Manhattan with her war hero–turned-lawyer father and her beautiful, glamorous mother—even if her mother often discourages her from certain things because, according to her, “Nothing will come of it.” Sam was born with club feet, but she has made the most of her condition thanks to her beloved nurse, Nana. Now, it’s the family’s first summer vacation on Nantucket since Sam’s mother forced Nana to retire, and Sam decides to take surfing lessons. However, the instructor sends Sam out to sea, all the way to Bermuda, where she washes up in a cove with a mermaid named Lori. Lori was born with a “wrong tail,” one that resembles that of a swordfish more than a dolphin, and she needs Sam’s help to cast a spell that will change it into a normal tail; otherwise, she’ll be ostracized and forced to live in a faraway colony with other “wrong tails.” Sam and Lori embark on adventures that include rescuing sea turtles, retrieving pearls from sirens and journeying to an underwater volcano to cast the spell. Author Horst (Allingham: Desperate Ride, 2013, etc.) has a surprisingly good ear for what a precocious preteen girl sounds like, and she fills the novel with long passages of narration in Sam’s smart, self-assured voice: “Good gums are what you’re after when you brush and floss. The rest is just icing on the cake. Well, maybe that’s not a good analogy, as neither icing nor cake is really good for your teeth.” Such quirkiness can come off as cartoonish or unrealistic, but Sam is a delight. Valuable lessons about accepting one’s differences, as well as those of the people around you, make this story an ideal beach read for young readers. One hopes Horst has further adventures planned for Sam.
A quirky tale of tails with an endearing narrator whom young girls would love to befriend.Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2014
ISBN: 978-1502556608
Page Count: 132
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Dec. 10, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
Essential.
A guidebook for taking action against racism.
The clear title and bold, colorful illustrations will immediately draw attention to this book, designed to guide each reader on a personal journey to work to dismantle racism. In the author’s note, Jewell begins with explanations about word choice, including the use of the terms “folx,” because it is gender neutral, and “global majority,” noting that marginalized communities of color are actually the majority in the world. She also chooses to capitalize Black, Brown, and Indigenous as a way of centering these communities’ voices; "white" is not capitalized. Organized in four sections—identity, history, taking action, and working in solidarity—each chapter builds on the lessons of the previous section. Underlined words are defined in the glossary, but Jewell unpacks concepts around race in an accessible way, bringing attention to common misunderstandings. Activities are included at the end of each chapter; they are effective, prompting both self-reflection and action steps from readers. The activities are designed to not be written inside the actual book; instead Jewell invites readers to find a special notebook and favorite pen and use that throughout. Combining the disruption of common fallacies, spotlights on change makers, the author’s personal reflections, and a call to action, this powerful book has something for all young people no matter what stage they are at in terms of awareness or activism.
Essential. (author’s note, further reading, glossary, select bibliography) (Nonfiction. 10-18)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7112-4521-1
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2019
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