by Khoa Le ; illustrated by Khoa Le ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 11, 2016
A sweet morality tale of cosmic misadventures and sibling rivalry.
After jealousy dims their affections, sisters learn to let love shine in this original tale that is redolent of folklore.
Sun and Moon, nearly identical apart from the details of their matching red dresses, argue repeatedly over which of them is more beloved by humans. To settle this debate once and for all, the pale-skinned, dark-eyed, rosy-cheeked little girls with silvery locks decide to trade places. The results are as expected, with weary children finally begging Moon to offer them respite from the blistering heat, and then, when dawn does not come, desperately wishing for Sun to return to warm the Earth. The children deliver a message to the bewildered duo, explaining that they matter equally and should focus on performing their respective duties, after which all is once again right both on Earth and in the heavens. In this book translated from the French, some illustrations hint at the author/illustrator’s Vietnamese origins, for example showing a dark-haired girl fishing with a bamboo pole and a child wearing a conical Southeast Asian–style hat. The story unfolds predictably in the manner of traditional pourquoi tales, and the prose is plain and serviceable. It is the illustrations that stand out, their jewel tones, elegant lines, and complex textures managing to look simultaneously contemporary and timeless.
A sweet morality tale of cosmic misadventures and sibling rivalry. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 11, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-60887-732-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Insight Kids
Review Posted Online: June 27, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2016
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by Joan Holub & illustrated by Jan Smith ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 1, 2012
Between its autumn and field-trip themes and the fact that not many books start countdowns from 20, this may find its way to...
A class visits the pumpkin patch, giving readers a chance to count down from 20.
At the farm, Farmer Mixenmatch gives them the tour, which includes a petting zoo, an educational area, a corn maze and a tractor ride to the pumpkin patch. Holub’s text cleverly though not always successfully rhymes each child’s name within the line: “ ‘Eighteen kids get on our bus,’ says Russ. / ‘But someone’s late,’ says Kate. / ‘Wait for me!’ calls Kiri.” Pumpkins at the tops of pages contain the numerals that match the text, allowing readers to pair them with the orange-colored, spelled-out numbers. Some of the objects proffered to count are a bit of a stretch—“Guess sixteen things we’ll see,” count 14 cars that arrived at the farm before the bus—but Smith’s artwork keeps things easy to count, except for a challenging page that asks readers to search for 17 orange items (answers are at the bottom, upside down). Strangely, Holub includes one page with nothing to count—a sign marks “15 Pumpkin Street.” Charming, multicultural round-faced characters and lots of detail encourage readers to go back through the book scouring pages for the 16 things the kids guessed they might see. Endpapers featuring a smattering of pumpkin facts round out the text.
Between its autumn and field-trip themes and the fact that not many books start countdowns from 20, this may find its way to many library shelves. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: July 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8075-6660-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2012
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by Jessica Hische ; illustrated by Jessica Hische ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 11, 2023
Somewhat cerebral but brimming with visual charm—and likely to spark ideas in the artistically minded.
U said it!
The diminutive lowercase letters attending Ms. Bracket’s School for Little Letters, located in New York City, embark on a “Find Yourself Field Trip” and observe letters everywhere—on signs, on T-shirts, and more. When personable U, the story’s protagonist, talks to a letter in a book at the New York Public Library, she realizes how powerful and important letters and words are; a discussion with a letter on a sculpture spelling out the word hope inspires optimism. When it’s her turn to share her field-trip experiences, U recaps her conversations and the lessons learned, namely, be yourself, or, in U’s case, be U. Her decision about who to be when she grows up should please readers, though the heavy-handed lead-up to that conclusion may confound them. The story is cute, though a bit thin, with a lofty message that may go over kids’ heads. However, the humorous, inventive illustrations are appealing, with playful use of typography and fonts; many colored images are pleasingly set against monochromatic line drawings. The adorable, exuberant student letters and teacher have spindly limbs, dots for eyes, and small, curved mouths. Ms. Bracket, who resembles a squiggly, yellow piece of pasta, wears a “hair” adornment. Children may be spurred to take part in their own creative lettering activities—collages for example. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Somewhat cerebral but brimming with visual charm—and likely to spark ideas in the artistically minded. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 11, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-38502-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2023
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