A tale gently told of finding our inner strengths.
Once upon a short time ago, there was a girl named Carlota who had a unique power: everyone understood her just from her gestures and glances.
So this Spanish import’s fair-skinned protagonist never talks—until one day, she needs to. Carlota's power of communicating without talking works when she's hungry; when she's on the playground and doesn't feel like running anymore or wants to play a new game; and even in the classroom when her teacher asks a question. (Like Carlota, her classmates, teacher, and family all present as white.) But one day she accidentally gets locked into the pantry, with only jars, cans, pots, and a broomstick with bristles full of fluff. As Carlota realizes her communication method will not work on these inanimate objects, she must overcome her fear and try something she has never done before: talk! The whimsical, tongue-in-cheek narration asks readers questions (“Are you ready to know?”) and adds little asides (“Yes, I know I have already said this, but...”), making readers feel the story is being told just to them. Urberuaga's simply drawn illustrations, heavily outlined in black and using a richly saturated palette, perfectly complement the charm and humor of the story. Readers will want to watch out for Tom the mouse, Carlota's friend, and his antics while Carlota is locked in the pantry.
A tale gently told of finding our inner strengths. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: June 6, 2016
ISBN: 978-84-942929-5-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: NubeOcho
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2016
Stick with Elephant and Piggie, Mouse and Mole, and Minnie and Moo.
Petal and Poppy discover the identity of their mystery valentine.
Friends Petal and Poppy wake on the morning of Valentine’s Day wondering if they will receive any valentines. Petal, an elephant, finds a vase of roses and an unsigned card and assumes they must be from Poppy. Poppy, a rhino, discovers a box of chocolates and an unsigned card. It’s easy to guess what she thinks. When they thank each other, though, the truth comes out, and the two sleuths set out to find out who their mystery valentine might be, each secretly still thinking it’s her friend. A trail of heart cards leads to the sighting of their valentine in a hot air balloon. They spread the cards around to all their friends and find their valentine, a winter-hatted penguin whom observant readers will have already spotted throughout, waiting for them on their doorstep. The three take a ride in the balloon together. Briant’s cartoon panels are easy to decode, the characters’ emotions plain. The simple vocabulary (other than “mystery” and “valentine”) and repetition of phrases are key for beginning readers, but the text is missing some vital parts, namely, character development and an exciting story.
Stick with Elephant and Piggie, Mouse and Mole, and Minnie and Moo. (Early reader. 5-7)Pub Date: Dec. 29, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-544-55550-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 20, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Functional, in the most limited sense of the term.
Young Sam absorbs easy-peasy strategies for coping with anger issues to kick off a second quartet of openly therapeutic titles in the Our Emotions and Behavior series.
Fits of rage having escalated into a physical attack at a birthday party, Sam is towed off for a timeout by his aunt, who advises him to take a deep breath, count to 10 and think of alternatives to acting out. Sam apologizes to his peers and passes a later test of equanimity with flying colors. Likewise, in Take a Deep Breath (978-1-57542-446-0), Ruby, Andy and other children (plus a teacher, on whom a spider suddenly lands) exhale stage fright and other anxieties away. Daisy’s anxieties about a household move are dispelled by her grandpa’s advice to be more optimistic in But What If? (978-1-57542-444-6). And in I Didn’t Do It! (978-1-57542-445-3), apologies and remedial action help Polly mend fences with her alienated friends after she lies about who’s at fault for a series of mishaps. Each story ends with a whiplash-inducing final spread with an unrelated episode illustrated in a slightly different cartoon style about some other childhood crisis overcome. A closing page of discussion topics signals that these may look like fodder for newly independent readers, but they’re really meant to be shared.
Functional, in the most limited sense of the term. (Early reader/bibliotherapy. 5-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-57542-443-9
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2013
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