An inspirational, environmentally minded tale of delightful, colorful aliens.
The Quest-terrestrials return in this picture-book sequel, sharing good news about what humans are doing to save their own planet.
When the adorable titular aliens return to Earth, they discover that “the planet is drowning in garbage,” much to the dismay of sea creatures and mermaids. However, the “Q-ts” soon find out that humans are working on solutions, and author/illustrator Król (Quest-terrestrials, 2018) reveals real-world initiatives that are making a difference in the amount of trash. The aliens discover sculptures made from old flip-flop shoes in Kenya, recycled musical instruments in Paraguay, “newspapers rolled into logs” that ease the burden on the forests of Norway, and roads made out of recycled tires in Canada, among other efforts. Of course, the Q-ts have their own solution to garbage: eating it. Król’s aliens have the same lovable sense of humor that they did in the first installment, and their silly antics, including moose-riding in Canada, are sure to keep readers giggling while they learn about cool environmental initiatives. The author’s soft-edged, cartoonish digital paintings are also full of funny details. Adults may wish Król had added a list of the locations and projects depicted in the book, however.
An inspirational, environmentally minded tale of delightful, colorful aliens.Pub Date: Oct. 30, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-9990618-1-4
Page Count: 42
Publisher: Sowka Publishing
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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