An interplanetary lovefest with sprinkles of astro-fact embedded in the goo.
Greetings from the New Horizons space probe—which has a big surprise to share about the dwarf planet Pluto.
Giveaway title notwithstanding, the personified probe does a good job setting up the climactic revelation with an account of its long, long journey past Jupiter and the other outer planets and a simple introduction to Pluto’s changing official status. Upon arrival the narrator burbles, “I made it!” and sends an image of the huge, heart-shaped nitrogen lake that is Pluto’s most prominent physical feature back to Earth, “It’s so cute!” Ross, in contrast to his realization of the dusty setting of Sara Schonfeld’s Birthday on Mars (2019), gives the encounter a warm and informal air by rendering the planets and probe with spongy surfaces, as if they were constructed out of blocks of colored foam, and the heart with sharp, nearly symmetrical borders so that it looks cut out and pasted onto Pluto’s surface. Though Saturn is tilted in an early view he does depict the planet with rings seen edge on in a later one, which may confuse some viewers. Also, though Jones closes with a bulleted fact list, he goes for mush over wonder at the end with multiple exclamations about how Pluto loves us, and Earth loves it back. Human figures are diverse throughout; one classroom group includes a child wearing a hijab.
An interplanetary lovefest with sprinkles of astro-fact embedded in the goo. (Informational picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Aug. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09629-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
Amusing but a little off tempo.
It’s important to hit all the right notes.
A tan-skinned musical composer with puffy black hair is busy at work on his next musical masterpiece when Half Note, a music symbol denoting two beats, feels unappreciated. Half Note is jealous of the more commonly used Quarter Note (one beat) and Eighth Note. Although the other musical symbols attempt to calm and comfort Half Note, she decides to run away. The next day, Composer needs Half Note and panics when he realizes that she’s gone. The other notes and musical symbols try to find her, but it’s only when they try to play her favorite song, “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” without her—with terrible results—that she comes running back. The story’s humor—which is largely based on “dad joke” puns—is completely dependent on readers’ musical knowledge. The artwork, a mix of acrylic and colored pencil, attempts to add some allegrezza to the piece, and while it’s not unsuccessful, it’s facing an uphill battle. Music teachers and musically minded caregivers may find some value in this story, but it will likely be too specialized for general readers. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Amusing but a little off tempo. (glossary) (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: March 14, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-64567-631-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
“It’s time to head back home,” the narrator concludes. “You’ve touched the Earth in so many ways.” Who knew it would be so...
A pro bono Twinkie of a book invites readers to fly off in a magic plane to bring clean water to our planet’s oceans, deserts, and brown children.
Following a confusingly phrased suggestion beneath a soft-focus world map to “touch the Earth. Now touch where you live,” a shake of the volume transforms it into a plane with eyes and feathered wings that flies with the press of a flat, gray “button” painted onto the page. Pressing like buttons along the journey releases a gush of fresh water from the ground—and later, illogically, provides a filtration device that changes water “from yucky to clean”—for thirsty groups of smiling, brown-skinned people. At other stops, a tap on the button will “help irrigate the desert,” and touching floating bottles and other debris in the ocean supposedly makes it all disappear so the fish can return. The 20 children Coh places on a globe toward the end are varied of skin tone, but three of the four young saviors she plants in the flier’s cockpit as audience stand-ins are white. The closing poem isn’t so openly parochial, though it seldom rises above vague feel-good sentiments: “Love the Earth, the moon and sun. / All the children can be one.”
“It’s time to head back home,” the narrator concludes. “You’ve touched the Earth in so many ways.” Who knew it would be so easy to clean the place up and give everyone a drink? (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: April 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5107-2083-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
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