Rohan weaves an engaging, imaginative tapestry.
A preteen uses intriguing imaginative skill to learn courage, hard work and the power of imagination itself.
As an 11-year-old, Jack Andrew Fisher seemingly has little interest in matters of intellect; he simply wants to go to summer skateboard camp, regardless of what his report card says. He escapes from his boring family reunion by sneaking into his grandmother’s attic, when a bizarre event portals him to a world of unfamiliar people, bizarre creatures and benevolent/malevolent beings. He receives a generous tourist pass and is taken in by both the good-natured Widget Family and the curmudgeonly but virtuous Aladdeus Gaelblade. Jack learns that the people in his newfound world have a special gift of weaving—the ability to summon one’s imagination to create things. One must use weaving for only good purposes, of course, with the quality of the finished product dependent upon the weaver’s personal character and diligence. The tale skillfully builds when the reader learns that quality weaving will inevitably be required to thwart the revenge of the evil Grimsnipe. Rohan combines all the elements of basic fantasy—a young hero, mentors, villains, something to be saved, special powers and, of course, magical creatures—with the more elusive combination of great storytelling that appeals to a wide audience. The book’s combination of action, political intrigue with corruption, a love story (or stories), a bit of nostalgia and an endearing dog will certainly appeal to both boys and girls. The alternate world mingles quasi-historical fiction with fantasy, as men tip their hats to ladies, horses are used instead of cars and bread is baked fresh in the home. The fantasy cleverly parallels our contemporary world in notions such as terror and readily presenting one’s identification—a trend, indeed, of both reality and the genre. The number of characters and their qualities is significant but never the overwhelming amount characteristic of some stories in the genre. Humor is also judicious and subtle, as in the brainless, pear-shaped Bluntogs. It may be ironic that the epilogue is almost too explanatory; however, the theme of imagination’s creative power is enough to inspire the anticipation of an even bigger climax in a potential sequel.
Rohan weaves an engaging, imaginative tapestry.Pub Date: March 21, 2012
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Kurti Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A joyful celebration.
Families in a variety of configurations play, dance, and celebrate together.
The rhymed verse, based on a song from the Noodle Loaf children’s podcast, declares that “Families belong / Together like a puzzle / Different-sized people / One big snuggle.” The accompanying image shows an interracial couple of caregivers (one with brown skin and one pale) cuddling with a pajama-clad toddler with light brown skin and surrounded by two cats and a dog. Subsequent pages show a wide array of families with members of many different racial presentations engaging in bike and bus rides, indoor dance parties, and more. In some, readers see only one caregiver: a father or a grandparent, perhaps. One same-sex couple with two children in tow are expecting another child. Smart’s illustrations are playful and expressive, curating the most joyful moments of family life. The verse, punctuated by the word together, frequently set in oversized font, is gently inclusive at its best but may trip up readers with its irregular rhythms. The song that inspired the book can be found on the Noodle Loaf website.
A joyful celebration. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22276-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Rise x Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2020
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
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