A delightfully quirky tale about standing up for urban nature.
A tree grows in an unlikely location.
Arborists come to Tove’s house to remove an ailing ficus, which is felled before the child returns from school. Seeing her disappointment, the head arborist encourages her to weigh in on what kind of tree the city will plant in its place. But Tove only wants this particular tree, and she removes a leafy branch as a memento. She places the twig atop her head and comically pours water over it, and the branch takes root in her hair. She nurtures the new tree by walking in the sun, bathing in moonglow, and letting her sapling commune with a robin singing on a wire. As the tree grows, neighbors notice, and community excitement builds for Tove’s curious quest. But logistical challenges creep in: It’s hard to lie down to sleep, and the tree’s massive presence makes scoring soccer goals tough (her understanding coach makes her goalie). Thankfully, with magical thinking and a lot of community support, a solution is reached that keeps both girl and ficus safe and thriving. Theule’s simple prose is delightfully deliberate, making a rather surreal concept seem nearly normal. Benbassat’s accompanying illustrations are cozy in tone; scenes that might otherwise seem scary or strange—Tove’s face being engulfed by roots, the tree dwarfing her as it increases in size—feel downright homey. Tove is light-skinned and dark-haired, while her neighbors are diverse.
A delightfully quirky tale about standing up for urban nature. (Light fantasy. 6-10)Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2025
ISBN: 9781536232813
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2025
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.
Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
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