by Larry Friend , illustrated by Sidney “Mindy” Makis ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 21, 2017
A simple tale that shows kids how water becomes snowflakes, then ice.
In this debut picture book, a snowflake experiences his life cycle of forming, falling, melting, and materializing again.
Near Vancouver, Canada, as the sun begins heating the ocean, a process begins: “The water started to evaporate. The water turned into a vapor. This vapor formed molecules.” Going CRACK, BURR, SPRONG, and other exciting verbs, Icy the snowflake is born. He’s a happy fellow with a round red nose who loves being up in the sky and then falling into a blanket of snow. But as more snow piles on top, Icy finds his world becoming dark, cold, and compressed. After 200 years of this, he’s frightened and sad. But then the glacier he’s part of splits, and Icy enjoys an ocean voyage, meeting several animals who cure his loneliness. As he melts, though, Icy despairs, until warm air lifts him upward and he again becomes a snowflake. In his tale, Friend introduces children to some basic scientific concepts. But parents may need to explain some of the vocabulary, such as “evaporate” or “molecules.” While Icy is a poignant figure with his long years of melancholy and solitude, the story’s emotional logic doesn’t make much sense. Why is gloomy Icy the single sentient snowflake? The book also misses a chance to address the climate change that’s responsible for too many melting glaciers. Debut illustrator Makis’ images are expressive, though the crayon technique and drawing style look homemade.
A simple tale that shows kids how water becomes snowflakes, then ice.Pub Date: March 21, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-64045-018-9
Page Count: -
Publisher: LitFire Publishing
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Larry Friend illustrated by Sidney “Mindy” Makis
by Chloe Perkins ; illustrated by Sandra Equihua ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 13, 2016
A nice but not requisite purchase.
A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.
Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.
A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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adapted by Hannah Eliot ; illustrated by Nivea Ortiz
by Chloe Perkins ; illustrated by Dinara Mirtalipova
by Chloe Perkins ; illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan
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by Chloe Perkins ; illustrated by Dinara Mirtalipova
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by Chloe Perkins ; illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan
by Tom Fletcher ; illustrated by Greg Abbott ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 5, 2017
Playful, engaging, and full of opportunities for empathy—a raucous storytime hit.
Readers try to dislodge a monster from the pages of this emotive and interactive read-aloud.
“OH NO!” the story starts. “There’s a monster in your book!” The blue, round-headed monster with pink horns and a pink-tipped tail can be seen cheerfully munching on the opening page. “Let’s try to get him out,” declares the narrator. Readers are encouraged to shake, tilt, and spin the book around, while the monster careens around an empty background looking scared and lost. Viewers are exhorted to tickle the monster’s feet, blow on the page, and make a really loud noise. Finally, shockingly, it works: “Now he’s in your room!” But clearly a monster in your book is safer than a monster in your room, so he’s coaxed back into the illustrations and lulled to sleep, curled up under one page and cuddling a bit of another like a child with their blankie. The monster’s entirely cute appearance and clear emotional reactions to his treatment add to the interactive aspect, and some young readers might even resist the instructions to avoid hurting their new pal. Children will be brought along on the monster’s journey, going from excited, noisy, and wiggly to calm and steady (one can hope).
Playful, engaging, and full of opportunities for empathy—a raucous storytime hit. (Picture book. 2-7)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5247-6456-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: June 4, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017
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by Tom Fletcher ; illustrated by Tom Fletcher
by Tom Fletcher ; illustrated by Greg Abbott
by Tom Fletcher ; illustrated by Greg Abbott
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BOOK REVIEW
by Tom Fletcher ; illustrated by Tom Fletcher
BOOK REVIEW
by Tom Fletcher ; illustrated by Greg Abbott
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by Tom Fletcher ; illustrated by Greg Abbott
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