A solid message for young DIYers, particularly those with more time than bean-bucks.
The pressure of picking a proper gift to exchange at a party makes the holiday season anything but a fava-rite time for the leguminous star of The Cool Bean (2019).
Having picked ultra-cool Beanadette J.’s name out of the basket but lacking the bean-bucks to buy anything, the frustrated frijole turns creative, using pens and paints to depict the intended recipient surrounded by tigers and rainbows. Seeing the multicolored guests at the party getting electronics and other expensive fancies only cranks up the anticipated humiliation—but Beanadette loves the picture, and so does everyone else. “I’d created something unique and original. I’d given it away. And it had made somebody happy.” If that summation isn’t explicit enough for some readers, John’s beany bestower leaves the party with a brand-new, hand-knit scarf of their own (“truly a cool—and also warm—gift, indeed”) and then ends by boiling the message down to a mushy meme: “When in doubt, just make something.” However easy it may be to see as naïve (or at best aspirational) the notion that beans, human or otherwise, are sure to value hand-made gifts over manufactured ones, young children or anyone with no bean-bucks to spend might take it to heart. No specific holidays are identified aside from glimpses of snow, garland, and carolers in the illustrations of anthropomorphized, cartoonish beans. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A solid message for young DIYers, particularly those with more time than bean-bucks. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-304542-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022
A multicultural tasting platter—conscientiously varied if a bit bland overall and thin fare for tourists.
The creators of An English Year (2015) cross the pond for glimpses of an annual round in the Empire State.
In a set of monthly spreads, a conspicuously diverse cast of children present a random-feeling mix of seasonal activities and festivities, mostly in the Big Apple. These include snuggling down to watch videos on a cold day, taking in a Yankees game, passing the challah on Shabbat, wolfing down torrone in Little Italy, visiting museums either in the city or as far away as Rochester and Cooperstown, celebrating holidays ranging from President’s Day to Chinese New Year and Sukkot. Excepting Oktoberfest, Festivus, and a few others, the entries all feature an identifying or explanatory comment with a small, brightly idealized cartoon image. Unsurprisingly, such a quick, broad sweep is as subject to errors as it is to omissions, but aside from the claim that “New York City is on Manhattan Island,” none are real howlers. The author’s avowed focus on “traditional endemic elements and themes” common to “the majority of New York’s children” takes readers beyond the city limits to convey a sense of the whole state’s ethnic multiplicity. A Texas Year publishes simultaneously.
A multicultural tasting platter—conscientiously varied if a bit bland overall and thin fare for tourists. (map, state facts) (Informational picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-925335-07-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: EK Books
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2016
A well-intentioned but misguided effort.
A celebration of Christmas in the March family has been adapted as the text for this oversized picture book, with lavish illustrations of the family enjoying the holiday together.
The March sisters enjoy a happy Christmas morning, with special gifts for their sister Beth, who has been in poor health. Their celebration becomes more joyful yet with the surprise arrival of Mr. March, who has been injured in the Civil War. The illustrations are dark and moody, reflecting the somber nature of a household with a father away at war and the realities of 19th-century illumination. There are continuity issues in both text and illustrations. Jo’s age does not seem consistent throughout the book, with one close-up view showing a girl who looks about 12 and others with her looking older. Beth is referred to as the youngest daughter, rather than the second youngest, and she is shown with blonde ringlets instead of Amy, as in the original. It is too bad there is no author’s note giving more specifics about Louisa May Alcott, the original story, the time frame of the Civil War and the New England location. It’s hard to identify the intended audience for this effort, as those who love the original already will likely be unhappy, and those who don’t will lack the context necessary to enjoy it.
A well-intentioned but misguided effort. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-1359-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2014
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