Yay for Leilong.
Sauropod Leilong loves books and stories, especially about dinosaurs.
Leilong and his friends Maggie, Mo, and Max are headed to the library for storytime, traveling on Leilong’s very large back. There are hints that dinosaurs are not entirely unusual in this city. There is a refueling station that’s specifically for dinosaurs. When he moves too fast, police warn him to slow down. But Leilong is denied entrance to the library because he cannot fit through the door and doesn’t have a library card. So he pokes his head in a window to hear the story. The children enjoy “Little Red Riding Hood,” shouting responses as the librarian reads. Leilong becomes so involved that his shouts shake the entire building, and he is banished for breaking the rules. When all the children leave with him in solidarity, the librarians reconsider and come up with an ingenious plan to share books with everyone. Text and illustrations are perfectly matched here. Via Wang’s smooth translation from Chinese, Liu employs simple, direct third-person narration, enhanced by intriguing dialogue and winning characters. Lynn’s intricate cartoons provide scope and setting and much of the fun as well as thought-provoking details. Humans all have pale skin, and Leilong is gloriously green. Leilong is met variously with laughter, amazement, and quite a few frowns, and the initial reactions at the library indicate that sauropods are not always welcome. Young readers will come to understand an underlying gentle message of recognizing and embracing differences.
Yay for Leilong. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-776573-31-8
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Gecko Press
Review Posted Online: June 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
Accessible, reassuring and hopeful.
This endearing picture book about a timid boy who longs to belong has an agenda but delivers its message with great sensitivity.
Brian wants to join in but is overlooked, even ostracized, by his classmates. Readers first see him alone on the front endpapers, drawing in chalk on the ground. The school scenarios are uncomfortably familiar: High-maintenance children get the teacher’s attention; team captains choose kickball players by popularity and athletic ability; chatter about birthday parties indicates they are not inclusive events. Tender illustrations rendered in glowing hues capture Brian’s isolation deftly; compared to the others and his surroundings, he appears in black and white. What saves Brian is his creativity. As he draws, Brian imagines amazing stories, including a poignant one about a superhero with the power to make friends. When a new boy takes some ribbing, it is Brian who leaves an illustrated note to make him feel better. The boy does not forget this gesture. It only takes one person noticing Brian for the others to see his talents have value; that he has something to contribute. Brian’s colors pop. In the closing endpapers, Brian’s classmates are spread around him on the ground, “wearing” his chalk-drawn wings and capes. Use this to start a discussion: The author includes suggested questions and recommended reading lists for adults and children.
Accessible, reassuring and hopeful. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-582-46450-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Aug. 20, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2013
A poignant story designed to help young readers feel good about themselves and where they come from.
Nigel, a brown-skinned young boy, peers out of his bedroom window and shares his dreams with the moon.
His desire is to become an astronaut, a dancer, and a superhero. With the moon, “his dreams are safe.” During career week at school, his class goes to the library to read about various occupations, but Nigel does not find any books with dancers who look like him. When his classmates share their vocational aspirations, Nigel feels shy to admit that he wants to be a superhero. That night, he confesses his fear to the moon: “What if I wish to be too many things?” When his teacher asks the class to share what their parents do for a living, Nigel is ashamed to speak up since his parents “don’t have fancy jobs.” So, he is stunned when his parents make a surprise visit to his class to speak about their careers and prove to be a big hit with the students. Relieved and proud, Nigel finally gains the courage to share his dreams with his classmates. Zhang’s ink, gouache, and watercolor illustrations are charming and thoughtful, effectively capturing both Nigel’s anxieties and his fanciful inner world. However, readers may notice tokenism at play since Nigel and his parents are the only brown-skinned characters in the book.
A poignant story designed to help young readers feel good about themselves and where they come from. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-305628-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Dec. 2, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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