An elegant retelling of a timeless story of humility and conservation.
In this picture book based on an ancient Buddhist tale and translated from Chinese, a magical deer shows humans the power of compassion and integrity.
In this tale set long ago, deep within a secret forest in the Kunlun Hills—a mountain range from Chinese mythology—there lives a deer with snow-white antlers and fur of many colors. The Nine Color Deer, as she is known, has awesome powers and acts as a guardian spirit to keep the country flourishing. One day, an act of kindness on behalf of the deer is repaid with a broken promise. After agreeing never to reveal the deer’s home, a young man helps the king bring an army to capture the creature. Arrogance and greed drive the efforts of humans in their quest, a contrast to the honorable, benevolent deer, who ultimately teaches the people respect for the natural world. The moralistic tone of the book reflects its roots as a Mugao Cave mural painting inspired by an Indian Buddhist Jataka story. The illustrations mimic the texture of cave paintings, bringing visual interest and reinforcing the connection to the source material. Artistic choices like the king’s larger-than-life appearance in several spreads and an ethereal palette of tranquil greens and pale earth tones make this adaptation distinct and aesthetically pleasing. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An elegant retelling of a timeless story of humility and conservation. (translator’s note) (Picture book/folktale. 5-9)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-64614-178-4
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Levine Querido
Review Posted Online: July 12, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2022
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
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