A lovely story in its own right, this picture book may make readers clamor for the story within the story about the little...
Subtle personification imbues the titular lonely book with longing for a child to read its story.
Initially, the book is not lonely at all. Indeed, it’s quite popular with library patrons, until it becomes tattered with use and is finally forgotten on the shelves among the other, newer titles. Then, a girl discovers the book, and even though it is missing its last page, she delights in the story and pictures about a little fairy living under a toadstool. She checks it out and enjoys reading it with her father and sharing it at school. Unfortunately, she forgets to renew it when she returns to the library and mistakenly leaves it on the floor. A parenthetical plot twist has a volunteer put the book in the library’s book sale. In a happily-ever-after ending befitting the text’s nostalgic tone, girl and book are reunited at the book sale and she takes it home. Throughout, Sheban’s soft watercolor illustrations present a warm, cozy depiction of the child’s communion with her cherished book.
A lovely story in its own right, this picture book may make readers clamor for the story within the story about the little fairy living under her toadstool. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-375-86226-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A great choice to introduce young readers to West Africa’s wonderful Anansesem storytelling tradition.
Kweku, nicknamed Anansi by his father, meets the famous trickster spider he’s named for.
Anansi, a young city-dwelling boy, flies overseas to Ghana with his parents and siblings to visit his grandmother. In Nana’s seaside community, Anansi climbs coconut trees, helps fishermen pull in their nets, and enjoys red-red (Ghanaian bean stew), his favorite food. One day, at the beach, Anansi meets the real Anansi the Spider, whom he’s heard so much about. The spider reveals to Anansi a golden pot that will magically fill itself with whatever the boy most desires if he utters a charm. When Anansi gives it a try, the pot immediately fills with red-red. The spider warns Anansi that “you must share what you love with those you love the most,” but the boy hides the pot and secretly binges on red-red for several days before learning a lesson about the importance of generosity. Selasi creatively reimagines the classic West African folktale of “Anansi and the Pot of Beans,” distinguishing this retelling from previous adaptations by putting a contemporary child at the center of the story. The characters have Ghanaian names, and both the text and illustrations include interesting cultural details—like the kaftans Nana wears and the Adinkra symbols scattered throughout the illustrations (the backmatter includes a symbol key)—making this a good experiential introduction to Ghanaian culture. Complementing the folklore-inspired text well is Fagborun’s brightly colored artwork that lends a folk-art sensibility.
A great choice to introduce young readers to West Africa’s wonderful Anansesem storytelling tradition. (author’s note, Ghanaian dishes) (Picture book/folktale. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-7440-4990-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: DK Publishing
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2022
Cleverly reinforces the dangers of running on empty.
The titular robot learns a lesson in balancing work with rest.
Although Whirby loves school and excels at subjects like magnetics, circuitry, and tinkering, he especially adores gadgeteering, because of the opportunities for “bot battles.” Whirby is so excited about competing in the next day’s tournament that he stays up all night practicing instead of plugging himself in and recharging his battery. The next morning, “his gears [feel] gritty, his buttons [feel] busted, and his cranks [feel] extra cranky.” At school, he experiences a major malfunction, and by the time he reaches the sporting ring, his battery has gone dead. His instructor, Dr. Whizbang, sends him home. Though devastated at missing his chance to go up against Dottie the Destroyer, Whirby makes a few observations about his body that night and “[codes] a new sequence” for himself, which little ones will recognize as a robot’s equivalent of bedtime rituals. Will Whirby feel ready tomorrow? Though older readers may find the tale a bit didactic, with its clearly telegraphed lessons, younger ones will be charmed by Whirby. Harris employs well-flowing sentences that make effective use of alliteration while playfully incorporating technical jargon. Featuring bright, eye-catching backdrops, Souva’s whimsical, blocky depictions of automatons pair well with the text.
Cleverly reinforces the dangers of running on empty. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Feb. 17, 2026
ISBN: 9780063385474
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
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