by Linda Ragsdale ; illustrated by Srimalie Bassani ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 7, 2020
A beautiful but insubstantial book on the importance of water.
An unnamed drop of water shares stories of where it’s been and why water is important.
Since the era of dinosaurs, the little raindrop has existed. From the very first ocean wave to the rain on rooftops of houses today, the raindrop has traversed the world and continues to be an invaluable part of nature. It seeps into the ground, “cuddled as a puddle,” and is reborn as dew on orange and yellow flowers on the next page. Water is more than just precipitation: It connects people and places, from “poets and pirates” to “friends, fisherman, sailors, soldiers, and seekers.” With its personified-raindrop narrator, the story attempts to be informative and engaging but struggles with the latter due to overuse of alliteration and overall wordiness. While the heart of its message is complemented by vibrant and eye-catching illustrations, it is not enough to outweigh the stilted language and (ironically) failure to flow. Backmatter including descriptions of the water cycle and water conservation provides much-needed definitions for some of the more complex vocabulary used. Children will be frustrated that the “sagas and secrets of travelers” that “raindrops are fully versed in” are only hinted at and not revealed.
A beautiful but insubstantial book on the importance of water. (further information, suggested reading) (Informational picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4867-1817-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Flowerpot Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 17, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2020
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by David Wiesner ; illustrated by David Wiesner ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2020
A retro-futuristic romp, literally and figuratively screwy.
Robo-parents Diode and Lugnut present daughter Cathode with a new little brother—who requires, unfortunately, some assembly.
Arriving in pieces from some mechanistic version of Ikea, little Flange turns out to be a cute but complicated tyke who immediately falls apart…and then rockets uncontrollably about the room after an overconfident uncle tinkers with his basic design. As a squad of helpline techies and bevies of neighbors bearing sludge cake and like treats roll in, the cluttered and increasingly crowded scene deteriorates into madcap chaos—until at last Cath, with help from Roomba-like robodog Sprocket, stages an intervention by whisking the hapless new arrival off to a backyard workshop for a proper assembly and software update. “You’re such a good big sister!” warbles her frazzled mom. Wiesner’s robots display his characteristic clean lines and even hues but endearingly look like vaguely anthropomorphic piles of random jet-engine parts and old vacuum cleaners loosely connected by joints of armored cable. They roll hither and thither through neatly squared-off panels and pages in infectiously comical dismay. Even the end’s domestic tranquility lasts only until Cathode spots the little box buried in the bigger one’s packing material: “TWINS!” (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-22-inch double-page spreads viewed at 52% of actual size.)
A retro-futuristic romp, literally and figuratively screwy. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-544-98731-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: June 2, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2020
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by Billy Aronson ; illustrated by Jennifer Oxley ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 21, 2018
A delightful story of a cross-racial friendship between two kids who realize how much they need each other and the passions...
STEM becomes STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) as Melia, an inventor, and Jo, a dancer, discover that they’re a dynamic team.
Melia loves to invent things and tinker all day long in her backyard. Then Jo moves in next door and dances her way into Melia’s inventing space. With total disregard for the sanctity of Melia’s creations, Jo flips Melia’s cereal-bowl radio onto her head to wear it as a hat, sticks a rope of black licorice into the neck of an unfinished robot, and chucks a paper airplane—that Melia is still designing—into the air. Although she’s miffed at Jo’s invasion of her space, Melia realizes that Jo has inadvertently solved some puzzling conundrums. When Melia shows Jo what a difference she has made, Jo refuses to partner with Melia…until one of Melia’s inventions saves her. Their contrasting personalities are effectively delineated in the retro-styled illustrations: Brown-skinned Jo wears a pinky-purple tutu, a pearl necklace, and feathers in her hair; blonde-haired, peachy-skinned Melia wears shorts and an orange cape and boots. The backmatter provides instructions for how to make Melia’s paper airplane and explains the benefits of turning STEM into STEAM.
A delightful story of a cross-racial friendship between two kids who realize how much they need each other and the passions that each brings to the friendship. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Aug. 21, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-328-91626-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2018
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