The authors’ names will sell it, but it’s the pictures that sing.
The lyrics of the classic Beatles song accompany an illustrated story in Cole’s (Spot & Dot, 2019) latest creation.
Two children sit near the front of their school bus, on opposite sides of the aisle, looking wistfully out their respective windows, while the crowd of kids in the back of the bus chat and laugh together. As the children exit the school bus, the two hang back from the crowd. At lunch, they notice each other; at recess, the blond, white child plays a guitar while the puffy-haired, darker-hued child watches, smiling. By the next spread, they are singing together in a bedroom and have developed a warm friendship. But soon, the blond child must move away, and each is alone again. They manage their loneliness with letters and phone calls, and, finally, they prepare for what becomes a spectacular visit. Most of the world is drawn in black and white, with touches of color to highlight the main characters and their connection; blue skies dominate the final spreads. Cole’s detailed style effectively creates a busy world in which individuals seek the comfort of friendship. The lyrics only loosely connect to the pictures, and parts of the text may seem obscure to children unfamiliar with the song. Adult readers will likely be happy to share the classic with children, though, and the visual story is strong enough to carry at least a full reading.
The authors’ names will sell it, but it’s the pictures that sing. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Dec. 10, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5344-2983-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 25, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2019
A surprisingly nuanced lesson set in confidence-building, easy-to-decode text.
A unicorn learns a friendship lesson in this chapter-book series opener.
Unicorn Bo has friends but longs for a “bestie.” Luckily, a new unicorn pops into existence (literally: Unicorns appear on especially starry nights) and joins Bo at the Sparklegrove School for Unicorns, where they study things like unicorn magic. Each unicorn has a special power; Bo’s is granting wishes. Not knowing what his own might be distresses new unicorn Sunny. When the week’s assignment is to earn a patch by using their unicorn powers to help someone, Bo hopes Sunny will wish to know Bo's power (enabling both unicorns to complete the task, and besides, Bo enjoys Sunny’s company and wants to help him). But when the words come out wrong, Sunny thinks Bo was feigning friendship to get to grant a wish and earn a patch, setting up a fairly sophisticated conflict. Bo makes things up to Sunny, and then—with the unicorns friends again and no longer trying to force their powers—arising circumstances enable them to earn their patches. The cheerful illustrations feature a sherbet palette, using patterns for texture; on busy pages with background colors similar to the characters’ color schemes, this combines with the absence of outlines to make discerning some individual characters a challenge. The format, familiar to readers of Elliott’s Owl Diaries series, uses large print and speech bubbles to keep pages to a manageable amount of text.
A surprisingly nuanced lesson set in confidence-building, easy-to-decode text. (Fantasy. 5-8)Pub Date: Dec. 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-32332-0
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2019
A tasty holiday confection.
Actor Witherspoon’s latest sees her exuberant young hero returning to celebrate the holidays.
Realizing that it’s nearly Christmas, Busy Betty launches into a brainstorming whirlwind; Betty wants to buy the perfect gifts but lacks the necessary funds. Last summer, Betty and best friend Mae had good luck running a lemonade stand, so the kids start a Christmas cookie stand. But chilly temperatures keep prospective customers away even after Betty and Mae sing loud, creative Christmas carols to get people’s attention and build snowpeople to create the illusion of customers. When Betty’s dog, Frank, accidentally crashes the stand and ruins the beautiful treats, a distraught Betty is sure that “Christmas is ruined!” But upon discovering one intact cookie, Betty has a great idea and dashes to the kitchen to whip up some perfect presents. On Christmas morning, Betty’s homemade gifts are scrumptious and tailor-made for their recipients—a holiday success! Though the story is slightly predictable, Betty’s inimitable voice (“Sweet cinnamon biscuits, it’s Christmas!”) sets it apart; Witherspoon ably captures the emotional extremes that young children often grapple with. Yan’s illustrations effectively portray the steps of Betty’s journey, using a vivid palette of greens and pinks and a dynamic use of perspective to keep wiggly young readers entranced. An appended recipe for cookie bars encourages readers to follow Betty’s worthy example. Busy Betty presents white; Mae is tan-skinned with dark hair.
A tasty holiday confection. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2024
ISBN: 9780593525159
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Flamingo Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
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