When a boy reads a book about birds, his imagination takes flight. Multicolored acrylic paintings on bright, spare backgrounds narrow the focus straight to the boy and his dreams of taking wing with some colorful feathered friends. When asked, the boy’s father explains that the boy can’t fly because he doesn’t have wings—he has arms and hands instead. More “why” questions follow, resulting in the boy being hugged, swung and tossed, until he soars through the air with the help of his father. The minimal, dialogue-only text works well, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the illustrations and perhaps add some description of their own. Sitting together in an armchair, the boy and his father then embark on a new reading selection about fish. Questions about fins seem sure to follow! An engaging and effective father-son story in which the main characters are black and race is not presented as an issue, this is a charming introduction to the worlds of books, birds and imagination, and an apt choice for parent-child reading. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: March 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-56145-430-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2009
A quiet book with a loud message about the everyday things that create constancy in a world of ephemeral pleasures.
A mother and her young daughter, cued as Taiwanese American, explore the world together.
The two climb a snowy mountain, swim with manta rays in the ocean, stargaze, “follow trails on summer nights,” lie in a field to watch cloud parades of “majestic beasts,” and more. Readers will decide whether these remarkable adventures are real or metaphors for the imaginative worlds mother and daughter explore while spending the day together indoors. The duo’s excursions end with the peaceful rituals of bathtime and teatime, as they “watch the shadows stretch” then doze on the rug. With just a single picturesque sentence per double-page spread, Kuo creates a sweeping yet intimate narrative about the experiences of contentment and togetherness that make even small moments seem extraordinary and that anchor us through life’s highs and lows. This connectedness, the book suggests, helps us “reach the very top, the very bottom, the very end” of life’s journeys as we “do everything and nothing” together. The tranquil digital illustrations use a three-tone or four-tone palette with striking color contrasts and sometimes recall Japanese Ukiyo-e landscape art (Kuo is Taiwanese American.) Visual details like a bag of shrimp chips, Chinese calligraphy, and a Zhongguo knot add cultural authenticity. This offering would make a wonderful gift book for expectant parents and may inspire young readers with new ideas for outdoor activities. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A quiet book with a loud message about the everyday things that create constancy in a world of ephemeral pleasures. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 22, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-250-77434-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2022
PERSPECTIVES
A warm family account that will ring true with many Latinx children.
Little Lucía takes readers on a tour of the house where she lives with her “big, loud, beautiful familia.”
As Lucía moves from space to space, readers meet the many family members that live in or visit the house and all the activities and interactions they have. She enters through la puerta, from which Abuela waves at the neighbors, to la sala, where she makes forts out of sofa cushions with her cousins and the cousins of her cousins. From there, readers travel through la cocina, where on special holidays Abuelo cooks his masterpiece turkey “a la española,” and back outside to el patio, where “I turn the music muy muy alta para bailar y bailar y bailar.” In el baño, “Abuela says, “Sana sana colita de rana!” as she tends to Lucía’s scraped knee. Then there’s el cuarto de mis hermanos, where she sometimes sneaks in “when I need un abrazo extra” from her brothers. She ends the tour at “mi habitación,” which has a bright sign on the door: LUCÍA’S ROOM! This sweet family story will be best enjoyed by readers who speak both Spanish and English, as Lucía uses Spanglish, seamlessly moving back and forth between the two languages. The accompanying illustrations have a charming childlike feel that complements Lucía’s cheer and provides visual context for readers who don’t speak Spanish. Lucía’s family members represents the Latinx community’s racial diversity.
A warm family account that will ring true with many Latinx children. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0943-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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