Though not without a misstep, this is a charming picture book that blends two rarely combined cultures.
In the 19th-century American Southwest, a Jewish boy from Russia befriends a Navajo boy.
Yossel’s family is fleeing Russia to avoid the soldiers of the czar. They sail first to New York, then take a train to Topeka and another to Santa Fe, and finally travel by horse-drawn covered freight wagon to a Navajo reservation. Uncle Izzy left Yossel’s family his trading post when he died, and now they’re responsible for selling “coffee and beans and seed” to their neighbors. Eight-year-old Yossel learns some English and Navajo from listening to the customers but doesn’t speak to anyone until he meets Thomas, a Navajo boy. Stylized illustrations depict the boys playing with Star Eye the sheep, eating blintzes, and having a sleepover at Thomas’ hogan. Yazzie’s warm acrylics in bright pinks, blues, and yellows paint the setting in the colors of desert sunshine (even Russia and New York seem Southwestern, with New York homes that “rub shoulders” illustrated as pink-trimmed, greenery-draped, single-story cottages). Given Yossel’s history as someone forced to flee his home due to ethnic violence, it’s a surprise to see none of the parallel story for Thomas (during roughly the time of the forced deportation of the Navajo by the U.S. government). Instead, this is a pleasing, sun-drenched tale of friendship in a new place. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Though not without a misstep, this is a charming picture book that blends two rarely combined cultures. (author’s note, further reading) (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-62354-176-7
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2022
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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Quirky, familiar fun for series devotees.
After Duncan finds his crayons gone—yet again—letters arrive, detailing their adventures in friendship.
Eleven crayons send missives from their chosen spots throughout Duncan’s home (and one from his classroom). Red enjoys the thrill of extinguishing “pretend fires” with Duncan’s toy firetruck. White, so often dismissed as invisible, finds a new calling subbing in for the missing queen on the black-and-white chessboard. “Now everyone ALWAYS SEES ME!…(Well, half the time!)” Pink’s living the dream as a pastry chef helming the Breezy Bake Oven, “baking everything from little cupcakes…to…OTHER little cupcakes!” Teal, who’s hitched a ride to school in Duncan’s backpack, meets the crayons in the boy’s desk and writes, “Guess what? I HAVE A TWIN! How come you never told me?” Duncan wants to see his crayons and “meet their new friends.” A culminating dinner party assembles the crayons and their many guests: a table tennis ball, dog biscuits, a well-loved teddy bear, and more. The premise—personified crayons, away and back again—is well-trammeled territory by now, after over a dozen books and spinoffs, and Jeffers once more delivers his signature cartooning and hand-lettering. Though the pages lack the laugh-out-loud sight gags and side-splittingly funny asides of previous outings, readers—especially fans of the crayons’ previous outings—will enjoy checking in on their pals.
Quirky, familiar fun for series devotees. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 3, 2025
ISBN: 9780593622360
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
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