Fragmentary and obscure—more likely to elicit shrugs of confusion than nods or sighs of satisfaction.
A glowing bird, shunned by all the other animals, finds an appreciative friend at last in this French import.
When the titular bird swallows a star, he becomes “brighter than a diamond” and “glow[s] like a thousand fires.” After he is ostracized in turn by all the “chicks,” stags, toads (frogs, in the illustration), mice, hedgehogs, and fish—either because they’re “envious” of the light (according to the text) or afraid of predators (according to what they say), the bird ends up in the desert, weeping. A flower apparently sprouts from one of his tears. Along comes a human passerby in generic Middle Eastern dress who sets the bird on his shoulder, proclaiming that it has a fabulous talent! “In the desert, in the distance, one might think that a man had a star upon his back.” Here the text cuts off, but the pictures continue for six pages in which the travelers reach a walled city of pointed golden domes and the bird flies off, singing to a thin crescent moon. The man’s bare ankles are brown, but the skin on his face is milky, with dot eyes and a flat, orange nose that give his features a puppetlike look. Overall, the illustrations, composed of large, flat, moonlit forms that resemble cut paper, have a properly serene and mysterious air. The glow is all on the surface, though; what sort of enlightening insight or emotional response readers will dig out of this import is anybody’s guess. Perhaps it makes more sense in the original language.
Fragmentary and obscure—more likely to elicit shrugs of confusion than nods or sighs of satisfaction. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: March 28, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7643-6107-4
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Schiffer
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A lesson that never grows old, enacted with verve by two favorite friends
Gerald the elephant learns a truth familiar to every preschooler—heck, every human: “Waiting is not easy!”
When Piggie cartwheels up to Gerald announcing that she has a surprise for him, Gerald is less than pleased to learn that the “surprise is a surprise.” Gerald pumps Piggie for information (it’s big, it’s pretty, and they can share it), but Piggie holds fast on this basic principle: Gerald will have to wait. Gerald lets out an almighty “GROAN!” Variations on this basic exchange occur throughout the day; Gerald pleads, Piggie insists they must wait; Gerald groans. As the day turns to twilight (signaled by the backgrounds that darken from mauve to gray to charcoal), Gerald gets grumpy. “WE HAVE WASTED THE WHOLE DAY!…And for WHAT!?” Piggie then gestures up to the Milky Way, which an awed Gerald acknowledges “was worth the wait.” Willems relies even more than usual on the slightest of changes in posture, layout and typography, as two waiting figures can’t help but be pretty static. At one point, Piggie assumes the lotus position, infuriating Gerald. Most amusingly, Gerald’s elephantine groans assume weighty physicality in spread-filling speech bubbles that knock Piggie to the ground. And the spectacular, photo-collaged images of the Milky Way that dwarf the two friends makes it clear that it was indeed worth the wait.
A lesson that never grows old, enacted with verve by two favorite friends . (Early reader. 6-8)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4231-9957-1
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2014
Approachable and comfortably predictable.
A young ghost arrives at Scare School.
Unlike big sister Bella, late bloomer Bash has never been good at “all the GHOST STUFF.” Dad’s sure that Scare School is just what Bash needs. Bash isn’t so certain; he’s intimidated by his classmates and teachers. But he perks up when he meets his roommate, Itsy, a smart, welcoming spider, though he vows to steer clear of mean-spirited Vlad and Vicky. Still, the dreaded Creature Aptitude Test worries Bash. To pass, he must pass through solid objects and turn himself invisible—skills he struggles with. Bash doesn’t want to be kicked out of school, so he’ll have to buckle down. With Itsy’s help and encouragement from his classmates, Bash realizes he’s more capable than he thought. Written in first person from endearingly anxious Bash’s point of view, the book has a diarylike feel. The text is presented in a handwritten font, while grayscale cartoon illustrations are peppered throughout. The supportive, sincere friendship between Bash and Itsy is the most compelling part of the story. Letters between Bash and Bella shed further light on Bash’s personality and their relationship. Though the book’s takeaway—believe in yourself, and you can do anything—is a familiar one, it’s just what many children need…and who better to deliver the message than an adorably nervous ghost?
Approachable and comfortably predictable. (Fiction. 6-8)Pub Date: July 16, 2024
ISBN: 9781665922098
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: April 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2024
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