An appealing, humorous introduction to a legendary hotel through a cat’s eyes.
In Martini’s debut children’s book, illustrated by Mongiardo (Cosmo’s Crave and Guppy Gall, 2012), a cat tells her story of her life at the Algonquin Hotel in New York City.
Ever since 1932, when a stray cat took up residence in the famous Algonquin Hotel, there has always been a “resident feline” there. Actor John Barrymore named the first one “Hamlet,” and ever since, all the Algonquin’s male cats have had that name, and the females, for unknown reasons, have all been named “Matilda.” Here, the most recent Matilda speaks for herself and tells her story. (Matilda is based on a real cat, but the Algonquin staffers in the book are wholly fictional.) As any good cat would be, Matilda is entirely pleased with her situation: she lives in a hotel “which is in the center of New York City, which is in the center of the world which means that I am in the center of it all,” she says. When visitors arrive, “I greet them by saying, ‘Welcome to my castle—I am your queen.’ ” She goes on to introduce readers to her underlings, including the doorman, concierge, manager, and her personal assistant Hadley (an homage to real-life caretaker Alice De Almeida). Readers learn of Matilda’s daily routine around the hotel, accompanied by Mongiardo’s lively line drawings, which often supply wry, silent commentary. For example, when Matilda says, “I ensure that our guests enjoy themselves,” the illustration shows a dismayed guest dropping his martini as the cat jumps into his lap. Special events include Matilda’s birthday party, featuring cake and a fashion show (on a catwalk, of course). The feline also describes some of the history of the Algonquin and its famous Round Table of writers and actors. Overall, Martini’s text and Mongiardo’s illustrations capture the particular charm of cats well and nicely evoke Matilda’s big personality and her expectation of worship. Young readers may also enjoy learning something about what goes on in big hotels, such as how a doorman does his job and how a concierge helps guests. The book also offers additional pages (“About the Algonquin Hotel” and “About the Algonquin Cat”) that give useful background on the hotel’s history, the Algonquin cat tradition, and how children may connect with Matilda online.
An appealing, humorous introduction to a legendary hotel through a cat’s eyes.Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-942545-44-6
Page Count: 44
Publisher: Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
An accessible but somewhat underdeveloped introduction to coding for the younger set.
If it’s 2018, then the kids must be coding.
This bright and cheery picture book introduces young readers to coding concepts through garden planting and backyard play. Two girls named Adi and Gabi learn about if/then statements through naturally occurring conditions and outcomes, such as: “If the weather is dry, then they water the plants.” Karanja touches lightly on what happens when the computer is not given the right instructions with a Simon Says–like game and progresses to a playful explanation of debugging. Exercises help readers test their understanding, and a glossary explains the computer science terms. While the author’s approach is simple and easy to understand, it seems like an odd choice to start with conditional statements without mentioning more basic concepts such as breaking down big tasks into smaller steps, sequencing instructions, etc. The treatment of conditionals is itself incomplete since “else” statements are never mentioned. And without the scaffolding of a real problem that needs solving, the concepts carry little weight. Adi and her mother are brown-skinned with dark curls, while Gabi has lighter skin and straight hair.
An accessible but somewhat underdeveloped introduction to coding for the younger set. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5158-3445-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Picture Window Books
Review Posted Online: June 10, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
A fun but inessential novelty, as much toy as book.
A familiar song repackaged as a board book doubles as a finger puppet.
Many a caregiver has sung this refrain to a newborn or toddler, ignoring the decidedly sad lyrics of the original. Magsamen lays claim and sweetens it up. She uses only the chorus and changes the last line to “I’ll give you lots of hugs… / and kisses every day” instead of the expected “Please don’t take my sunshine away.” Her cheery artwork, reminiscent of applique, recalls the song’s country-music roots and is anything but sad. The pages are decorated with hearts and cuddly-looking caregiver-child animal pairs—foxes, skunks with sunny yellow umbrellas, bunnies, raccoons, and squirrels. The thick, heart-shaped pages include a circular die-cut hole through which readers might poke the smiling felt sun puppet attached to the back cover. A finger inserted from the back makes the sun wiggle and will capture even the youngest baby’s attention. The puppet feature does not obstruct the initial page turns, but when a toddler says, “Do it again” (as they doubtless will), quickly re-positioning the finger puppet is somewhat challenging.
A fun but inessential novelty, as much toy as book. (Board book. 18 mos.-3)Pub Date: Dec. 26, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-338-30576-0
Page Count: 6
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Nov. 11, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2019
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