A self-described “hopeless witch” finds a warm and welcoming home.
Belladonna Broomstick is chronically challenged when it comes to magic. When she fails the entrance exam to the Creepy Castle School for Witches and Wizards, her misanthropic aunt Hemlock decides to send her to the mythic Person World as a foster child. Filled with misinformation about the Person World, Belladonna is initially apprehensive, but once Aunt Hemlock and Belladonna travel through the Curtain of Invisibility that conceals the Magic Realm from the Person World, they find the adorable town of Merrymeet and a charming couple in a sweet cottage. Belladonna, now Bella, loves Uncle Martin and Aunty Rose on sight and observes striking comparisons between her new family and neighborhood and her old ones. Bella basks in her new family’s creature comforts: hot water, bubble baths, trendy clothes, and more delectable breakfasts. She also notes how much more attractive Persons are in comparison to the community she comes from…no more visible warts! It doesn’t take long before Bella disobeys Aunt Hemlock’s warnings and performs magic; hijinks ensue. Notably, Belladonna and cruel, ugly, smelly Aunt Hemlock are the only people of color depicted in the book, while the kindly Persons of Merrymeet are white. Beneath the surface tale of a lonely child who finds an accepting family lies a mire of comparisons that reinforces harsh stereotypes.
This series opener promises zany fun, but by placing cruel and nonhuman people of color in opposition to lovely white humans, it does all readers a disservice . (Fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: Aug. 28, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5247-6780-8
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2018
Categories: CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY
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The fourth installment in Delacre’s early-reader series centers on the rich musical traditions of Puerto Rico, once again featuring sibling tree frogs Rafi and Rosi Coquí.
Readers learn along with Rafi and Rosi as they explore bomba, plena, and salsa in three chapters. A glossary at the beginning sets readers up well to understand the Spanish vocabulary, including accurate phoneticization for non-Spanish speakers. The stories focus on Rafi and Rosi’s relationship within a musical context. For example, in one chapter Rafi finds out that he attracts a larger audience playing his homemade güiro with Rosi’s help even though he initially excluded her: “Big brothers only.” Even when he makes mistakes, as the older brother, Rafi consoles Rosi when she is embarrassed or angry at him. In each instance, their shared joy for music and dance ultimately shines through any upsets—a valuable reflection of unity. Informational backmatter and author’s sources are extensive. Undoubtedly these will help teachers, librarians, and parents to develop Puerto Rican cultural programs, curriculum, or home activities to extend young readers’ learning. The inclusion of instructions to make one’s own homemade güiro is a thoughtful addition. The Spanish translation, also by Delacre and published simultaneously, will require a more advanced reader than the English one to recognize and comprehend contractions (“pa’bajo-pa-pa’rriba”) and relatively sophisticated vocabulary.
A welcome, well-researched reflection of cultural pride in the early-reader landscape. (Early reader. 7-9)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-89239-429-6
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Children's Book Press
Review Posted Online: July 28, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
Categories: CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS
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Nina is worried that her best friend, Jay, might not be her best friend anymore.
Nina Soni has been best friends with Jay Davenport since before she was born. But when Jay’s cousins move to town, he has less and less time for Nina—so little time, in fact, that she wonders if they’re still best friends. Nina is so distracted that she forgets about her Personal Narrative Project, an assignment in which Nina is supposed to write about something interesting that’s happened to her. At first, Nina wonders how she’ll ever write the essay when her family—and, by extension, her life—is so boring. But when Jay announces that he’s going to write the best PNP ever, Nina sees his challenge as a way to recover their friendship. Sheth’s language is poetic in its simplicity, and her narratorial voice is a pleasure to read. The book particularly sparkles whenever Nina interacts with her small but tightknit family, especially when she has to rescue her quirky younger sister, Kavita, from endless scrapes. The conflict between Nina and Jay, however, feels forced and tangential to the story, which really centers on Nina’s personal narrative and her loving, albeit exasperating, relationship with her family. Both Nina and Jay are Indian American; she on both sides of her family and he through his mother (his father is white).
A sweet and entertaining series opener about family and friendship. (Fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-68263-057-0
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: June 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
Categories: CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES
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