A lilting, enjoyable read-aloud about familial bonds and teamwork.
A green dragon’s chosen family teaches him how to fly in author-illustrator Partner’s picture book.
One night, a young dragon, born from a comet, crash-lands in a forest “in a faraway realm.” He isn’t alone, as he first believes; a group of animals surround him in curiosity and confusion: “Then one small, brave bunny tugged at his mother. ‘I really would like to have a new brother.’” Thus, the rabbits, bears, squirrels, and other animals adopt the reptilian newcomer as one of their own. Although this makes him happy, the winged dragon also yearns to fly in the sky, like the birds he often watches soar overhead. He doesn’t know how to do it yet, but his new family is determined to help him learn. The bunnies teach him to bounce and the squirrel how to climb, but it isn’t until he turns to the owl that he finally understands how to use his wings. Partner’s debut picture book takes preschool readers on a rhyming journey that offers opportunities to learn about movement, animal sounds, and the balance between independence and family. Youngsters will enjoy spotting the clear answer to the dragon’s problem (flapping his wings) before the character himself does. Occasionally, the animals’ sizes seem disproportionate in the full-color, painterly illustrations; one rather large squirrel particularly stands out. However, the varied layouts are bold and welcoming throughout.
A lilting, enjoyable read-aloud about familial bonds and teamwork.Pub Date: Nov. 22, 2024
ISBN: 9781069150615
Page Count: 32
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn.
A young owl achieves his grand ambition.
Owl, an adorably earnest and gallant little owlet, dreams of being a knight. He imagines himself defeating dragons and winning favor far and wide through his brave exploits. When a record number of knights go missing, Owl applies to Knight School and is surprisingly accepted. He is much smaller than the other knights-in-training, struggles to wield weapons, and has “a habit of nodding off during the day.” Nevertheless, he graduates and is assigned to the Knight Night Watch. While patrolling the castle walls one night, a hungry dragon shows up and Owl must use his wits to avoid meeting a terrible end. The result is both humorous and heartwarming, offering an affirmation of courage and clear thinking no matter one’s size…and demonstrating the power of a midnight snack. The story never directly addresses the question of the missing knights, but it is hinted that they became the dragon’s fodder, leaving readers to question Owl’s decision to befriend the beast. Humor is supplied by the characters’ facial expressions and accented by the fact that Owl is the only animal in his order of big, burly human knights. Denise’s accomplished digital illustrations—many of which are full bleeds—often use a warm sepia palette that evokes a feeling of antiquity, and some spreads feature a pleasing play of chiaroscuro that creates suspense and drama.
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-316-31062-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2022
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions.
Ellis, known for her illustrations for Colin Meloy’s Wildwood series, here riffs on the concept of “home.”
Shifting among homes mundane and speculative, contemporary and not, Ellis begins and ends with views of her own home and a peek into her studio. She highlights palaces and mansions, but she also takes readers to animal homes and a certain famously folkloric shoe (whose iconic Old Woman manages a passel of multiethnic kids absorbed in daring games). One spread showcases “some folks” who “live on the road”; a band unloads its tour bus in front of a theater marquee. Ellis’ compelling ink and gouache paintings, in a palette of blue-grays, sepia and brick red, depict scenes ranging from mythical, underwater Atlantis to a distant moonscape. Another spread, depicting a garden and large building under connected, transparent domes, invites readers to wonder: “Who in the world lives here? / And why?” (Earth is seen as a distant blue marble.) Some of Ellis’ chosen depictions, oddly juxtaposed and stripped of any historical or cultural context due to the stylized design and spare text, become stereotypical. “Some homes are boats. / Some homes are wigwams.” A sailing ship’s crew seems poised to land near a trio of men clad in breechcloths—otherwise unidentified and unremarked upon.
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6529-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2014
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