A positive and uplifting introduction to an ancient tradition.
Little Panda learns about his inner rainbow.
“Little Panda loved to do yoga. / It was part of his daily routine— / warrior, tree, downward dog with friends, / breathing and Oming in between.” But one morning Mommy Panda is surprised to find Little Panda sad after the yoga that he loves. When asked, he says he has noticed that all his jungle friends are brightly colored, but he is just black and white. Mommy sits him down and tells him that while he is black and white on the outside, there is a rainbow of color wheels inside him. Starting with the red energy of the root chakra that keeps him grounded and connects him with the Earth, she rhymes her way through a description of each chakra in four-line stanzas (green and purple get two stanzas each). Little Panda is happy afterward and sees the rainbow within each time he looks in the mirror. Though Muchnik’s text contains some big words that might spur questions from little meditators, Timmermans’ illustrations of happy creatures effectively communicate the meaning and the domains of each colored chakra. The book closes with a simple chakra map. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A positive and uplifting introduction to an ancient tradition. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 23, 2023
ISBN: 9781605377650
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clavis
Review Posted Online: Feb. 7, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2023
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories.
Kids know vegetables can be scary, but rarely are edible roots out to get someone. In this whimsical mock-horror tale, carrots nearly frighten the whiskers off Jasper Rabbit, an interloper at Crackenhopper Field.
Jasper loves carrots, especially those “free for the taking.” He pulls some in the morning, yanks out a few in the afternoon, and comes again at night to rip out more. Reynolds builds delicious suspense with succinct language that allows understatements to be fully exploited in Brown’s hilarious illustrations. The cartoon pictures, executed in pencil and then digitally colored, are in various shades of gray and serve as a perfectly gloomy backdrop for the vegetables’ eerie orange on each page. “Jasper couldn’t get enough carrots … / … until they started following him.” The plot intensifies as Jasper not only begins to hear the veggies nearby, but also begins to see them everywhere. Initially, young readers will wonder if this is all a product of Jasper’s imagination. Was it a few snarling carrots or just some bathing items peeking out from behind the shower curtain? The ending truly satisfies both readers and the book’s characters alike. And a lesson on greed goes down like honey instead of a forkful of spinach.
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 21, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0297-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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