An enjoyable, gorgeously illustrated, whimsy-heavy adventure.
A girl embarks on a magical nighttime journey filled with giggles and sweets in this debut children’s book.
Addie is nervous about her first night in her new home in the country, but soon talking fox Rosie Mean arrives with the promise of adventure: “All you need to do is eat your favorite cake, and we’ll be on our way.” At first hesitant to take treats from a stranger, Addie is soon persuaded to indulge. The treat shrinks her to a tiny size, and Rosie takes her on an odyssey full of delicious desserts, magical doors, ice skating in summer, and an ice boat race with magical woodland creatures. Too soon, it’s time for Addie to return to bed, but Rosie promises more escapades. Broken into chapters, the long sections of text are balanced by large, textured digital paintings from debut illustrator Darrow, a veteran artist. With an intermediate vocabulary in straightforward sentences, the work treads the line between chapter book and picture book. Darrow’s beautiful images portray a fanciful world with charismatic creatures whose appearances remain animal rather than human even when they’re sailing ice boats. Addie’s own features are always shown in nighttime silhouettes, only hinting at her ethnicity and coloration, allowing readers to imagine themselves reflected in her. Dwight’s text evokes Narnia and Wonderland without the conflicts or dangerous sides of either fantasy, making Addie’s engaging tale appropriate for calm, bedtime reading.
An enjoyable, gorgeously illustrated, whimsy-heavy adventure.Pub Date: Dec. 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-7350650-3-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Galactic Smarties
Review Posted Online: Aug. 21, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
More gift book than storybook, this is a meaningful addition to nursery bookshelves
A young child explores the unlimited potential inherent in all humans.
“Have you ever wondered why you are here?” asks the second-person narration. There is no one like you. Maybe you’re here to make a difference with your uniqueness; maybe you will speak for those who can’t or use your gifts to shine a light into the darkness. The no-frills, unrhymed narrative encourages readers to follow their hearts and tap into their limitless potential to be anything and do anything. The precisely inked and colored artwork plays with perspective from the first double-page spread, in which the child contemplates a mountain (or maybe an iceberg) in their hands. Later, they stand on a ladder to place white spots on tall, red mushrooms. The oversized flora and fauna seem to symbolize the presumptively insurmountable, reinforcing the book’s message that anything is possible. This quiet read, with its sophisticated central question, encourages children to reach for their untapped potential while reminding them it won’t be easy—they will make messes and mistakes—but the magic within can help overcome falls and failures. It’s unlikely that members of the intended audience have begun to wonder about their life’s purpose, but this life-affirming mood piece has honorable intentions. The child, accompanied by an adorable piglet and sporting overalls and a bird-beaked cap made of leaves, presents white.
More gift book than storybook, this is a meaningful addition to nursery bookshelves . (Picture book. 2-8)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-946873-75-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: May 21, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2019
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