Read for the overall aesthetic and for the text’s gentle humor.
A girl named Willow learns from a friend “inside [her] head” how to unlock her imagination when rereading a book.
Advice opposite the title page is an immediate hint about the approaching dreamlike quality of the text and the illustrations: “Read slowly, then… / Close your eyes / See the images / Savor the wor(l)d / Imagine the future / Feel the colors / Hear the sounds / Smell the paper / Touch the story / Enjoy.” The title page features the same gnomish, whiskered old man who, on the cover, gazes up at a girl on a carousel horse. As the page turns, readers learn that he is Tally, a gruff voice inside Willow’s head, advising her to end boredom by reading. When Willow protest that she’s read all of her books, Tally advises her to look for the “book inside the book.” There is a design flaw here: The stack of sentences in quotation marks does not clarify who is speaking, which may tie readers in knots. Under Tally’s tutelage, Willow embarks on a fantastical journey, flying above and into storybook scenes. The fantasy elements of the artwork are stunningly beautiful and subtly evocative of different centuries of Western artwork and literature. Unfortunately, inconsistent depiction of Willow’s apparent age is distracting.
Read for the overall aesthetic and for the text’s gentle humor. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-988-8240-80-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: minedition
Review Posted Online: July 28, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2014
A delightful if somewhat disjointed story of “Christmas magic” working its charms on a family.
Jack needs some magic to help make this year’s Christmas the best ever.
Shiny, red-foil borders and embossed lettering on the cover invite readers into a suburban household of the mid-20th century. On Christmas Eve, Jack is dissatisfied with the decorating job that he and his parents have done. He finds one last ornament, but his mother says in alarm, “Not that one!” Jack accidentally breaks it, leaving his mother in tears. A tiny fairy called Tinsel appears with tinkly bells to help Jack fulfill his wish. Saying, “let’s deck these halls!” Tinsel tosses glitter, and a large tree bursts through the floor. Caroling elves burst through the door, followed by reindeer, nutcrackers, and snowmen. Double-page–spread illustrations show the house filled with holiday fun. (Children will wonder why Jack’s parents don’t seem to notice it, though.) Jack can’t get enough of the magic, but remembering the broken ornament, he asks Tinsel for help. She can’t give him a new ornament but does offer him a glimpse of his mother’s past that helps Jack understand his mother’s heartbreak and see a way to make amends. Slightly overlong landscape design, old-fashioned furnishings, and endpapers filled with ornaments give this a feeling of personal reminiscence. Jack, his parents, Tinsel, and two of the elves present white, but the third elf has brown skin.
A delightful if somewhat disjointed story of “Christmas magic” working its charms on a family. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4169-3976-4
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Reassuring and endearing.
“Witch” for something; you may get it.
The Witchling’s cozy mountaintop house contains the usual witchy accoutrements—bats, a cauldron, a book of spells. But these don’t compensate for what she really wants—a friend. The Witchling finds a recipe for conjuring one but notices she’s lacking one ingredient: fur from a one-eyed teddy bear. In her mind’s eye, the Witchling envisions a fearsome creature, but she musters courage and whooshes off on her broom to locate it—and lands in the bed of a little girl, the animal’s owner. After the Witchling warns her to beware of bears, the girl explains her dearly loved (stuffed) pal is harmless and will gladly donate his last hair to the cause. The Witchling demurs, recognizing the unbreakable bond between girl and cherished toy while joyfully realizing that, through kindness, she’s found true friendship, too. Friendship stories aren’t new, but this sweet British import, told in lively verses that scan well, will find a receptive audience. Children will enjoy poring over details of the Witchling’s cozy home and appreciate the easy camaraderie the protagonists quickly develop. The charming illustrations, rendered in watercolor, pencil, printed-pattern collage, and Photoshop, feature a light-skinned witch sporting an oversize green, star-bedecked hat; her new friend is brown-skinned. Type that often meanders playfully on pages and employs large capitals for dramatic effect enhances the child appeal. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Reassuring and endearing. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: July 5, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0906-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 29, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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