by Lucky Platt ; illustrated by Lucky Platt ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 12, 2021
Very dear, but the message’s delivery is only partially successful.
A wolf speaks directly to readers about preconceptions.
On an abstract black-and–dark-gray spread, white text makes a request: “Close your eyes and imagine a wolf.” Two spreads later, a wolf shows up and asks, “Am I what you imagined?” This wolf sits cross-legged and slope-shouldered, holding a knitting project. An apron and high-heeled slides with cork soles complete the harmless impression. The wolf’s gentle eyes are painted with complex irises and shifting colors. This is no fairy-tale predator—but other characters don’t notice that. On the sidewalk, pigs (three, natch) clutch one another in fear; in the yarn store, humans (one in a red knit cap) whisper and stare. A passing skateboarder screams “WOOOLF!”—terrifying the poor yarn-carrying wolf enough to cause a stumble and fall into the street. This wolf does have sharp teeth—an intense close-up leaves no doubt—but uses them only to “hold the wool while my paw spins the wheel.” The knitting project? Sweaters for chilly sheep. Part of Platt’s compassionate message is crystal clear: This kind wolf doesn’t deserve street harassment or being brought to tears by prejudice. However, this wolf’s tender inner character is symbolized by outward appearance: Readers see from first glimpse that this wolf isn’t dangerous, which undermines the attempted decoupling of appearance from morality. Human characters’ skin is the background paper’s creamy white.
Very dear, but the message’s delivery is only partially successful. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Jan. 12, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-62414-932-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2020
Share your opinion of this book
by Alexandra Penfold ; illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 2, 2021
The story’s slight but allows kids to practice identifying and dealing with their own big feelings.
The diverse group of kids from All Are Welcome (2018) this time gathers in a vacant lot with tools in hand to clear the debris and make something new. But therein lies the rub: What should the something new be? While the exact nature of the disagreement is unfortunately not made clear to readers, the big feelings that the children exhibit are very clear (and for readers who need practice reading facial clues, there’s a labeled chart of 15 in the frontmatter). This book’s refrain is “How can I help? / What can we do?” And the answers, spread over several pages and not spelled out in so many words but rather shown in the illustrations, are: talk it through, compromise, and see things from another perspective. As a guide for dealing with feelings and problem-solving, the book is a bit slim and lacks a solid story to hook readers. But, as with its predecessor, its strength is again the diversity on display in its pages. There’s a rainbow of skin tones and hair colors as well as abundant variation in hair texture, several children exhibit visible disabilities, including one child who uses a wheelchair, and there are markers of religious and cultural diversity. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at 29.6% of actual size.)
The story’s slight but allows kids to practice identifying and dealing with their own big feelings. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-525-57974-8
Page Count: 42
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Dec. 24, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2021
Share your opinion of this book
More by Alexandra Penfold
BOOK REVIEW
by Alexandra Penfold ; illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman
BOOK REVIEW
by Alexandra Penfold ; illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman
BOOK REVIEW
by Alexandra Penfold ; illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman
by Christina Soontornvat ; illustrated by Barbara Szepesi Szucs ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 25, 2019
A jam-packed opener sure to satisfy lovers of the princess genre.
Ice princess Lina must navigate family and school in this early chapter read.
The family picnic is today. This is not a typical gathering, since Lina’s maternal relatives are a royal family of Windtamers who have power over the weather and live in castles floating on clouds. Lina herself is mixed race, with black hair and a tan complexion like her Asian-presenting mother’s; her Groundling father appears to be a white human. While making a grand entrance at the castle of her grandfather, the North Wind, she fails to successfully ride a gust of wind and crashes in front of her entire family. This prompts her stern grandfather to ask that Lina move in with him so he can teach her to control her powers. Desperate to avoid this, Lina and her friend Claudia, who is black, get Lina accepted at the Hilltop Science and Arts Academy. Lina’s parents allow her to go as long as she does lessons with grandpa on Saturdays. However, fitting in at a Groundling school is rough, especially when your powers start freak winter storms! With the story unfurling in diary format, bright-pink–highlighted grayscale illustrations help move the plot along. There are slight gaps in the storytelling and the pacing is occasionally uneven, but Lina is full of spunk and promotes self-acceptance.
A jam-packed opener sure to satisfy lovers of the princess genre. (Fantasy. 5-8)Pub Date: June 25, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-35393-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
Share your opinion of this book
More by Sarah Mlynowski
BOOK REVIEW
by Sarah Mlynowski & Christina Soontornvat ; illustrated by Maxine Vee
BOOK REVIEW
by Christina Soontornvat ; illustrated by Kevin Hong
BOOK REVIEW
by Christina Soontornvat ; illustrated by Kevin Hong
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.