by Kimberly K. Arcand ; illustrated by Kelly Kennedy ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 30, 2020
A twinkly, labored lullaby to all the moons we know are out there but can’t (as yet) see.
The latest addition to the dozens of Goodnight Moon pastiches takes a cosmic angle.
In nods to tradition, the room is green, the narrative properly sonorous, and there’s a blank “Goodnight nobody” page. The resemblance largely ends there, as the visible furnishings are decidedly astronomical in theme, the bed is replaced by a work desk, the drowsy bunny by an alert young STEM-winder with light-brown skin intent on her computer screen, and the grandmotherly attendant by a “quiet old scientist who was whispering ‘globular.’ ” (Rather creepily, this last figure is a White man.) Likewise, taking an even looser approach to meter and rhyme than Margaret Wise Brown did, Arcand tallies the room’s contents (“And there were three little astronomers sitting with monitors // And two little interns / And a pair of emergency lanterns,” etc.) before launching a nocturne to the speckled exomoon orbiting a ringed planet that looks like Saturn (but isn’t) visible through a window. The final “Goodnight stars / Goodnight air // Goodnight space science everywhere” caps an incantation that, however familiar its rhythms, is more likely to leave young listeners thinking, “What’s an accelerometer?” than blinking sleepily. Caregivers hazy on what an “exomoon” is will welcome the author’s prefatory explanation. Human figures, from “little interns” on, are diverse of skin color.
A twinkly, labored lullaby to all the moons we know are out there but can’t (as yet) see. (Board book. 2-6)Pub Date: June 30, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68052-934-0
Page Count: 34
Publisher: Cottage Door Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 1, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
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by Pip Jones ; illustrated by Sara Ogilvie ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2020
A disappointing follow-up.
Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).
While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.
A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
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by Owen Hart ; illustrated by Sean Julian ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2017
Parent-child love and affection, appealingly presented, with the added attraction of the seasonal content and lack of gender...
A polar-bear parent speaks poetically of love for a child.
A genderless adult and cub travel through the landscapes of an arctic year. Each of the softly rendered double-page paintings has a very different feel and color palette as the pair go through the seasons, walking through wintry ice and snow and green summer meadows, cavorting in the blue ocean, watching whales, and playing beside musk oxen. The rhymes of the four-line stanzas are not forced, as is the case too often in picture books of this type: “When cold, winter winds / blow the leaves far and wide, / You’ll cross the great icebergs / with me by your side.” On a dark, snowy night, the loving parent says: “But for now, cuddle close / while the stars softly shine. // I’ll always be yours, / and you’ll always be mine.” As the last illustration shows the pair curled up for sleep, young listeners will be lulled to sweet dreams by the calm tenor of the pictures and the words. While far from original, this timeless theme is always in demand, and the combination of delightful illustrations and poetry that scans well make this a good choice for early-childhood classrooms, public libraries, and one-on-one home read-alouds.
Parent-child love and affection, appealingly presented, with the added attraction of the seasonal content and lack of gender restrictions. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-68010-070-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
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