Reassuring and with some nice characterizations but coolly distancing overall.
Two siblings temporarily unite their separated parents.
Set in La Grave, a close-knit community on Quebec’s Iles de la Madeleine, this story follows Flo and Fée (who narrates), whose parents live apart. After painting pebbles one day, the siblings strew their little stones as they visit adult friends, hoping the trail will lead their parents to them. At their final stop, the parents, having followed the path, do indeed join the children. Flo and Fée have already learned that separation doesn’t mean irrevocable loss, for a wise friend has explained, “You two will always link your mother and father.” Then, another, colorful surprise awaits. This quiet French Canadian import about connections handles parental breakups calmly and with a detached air; Flo and Fée seem to take their folks’ split well. Two islands connected by a sand bridge are a metaphor for permanency; in the end, the siblings recognize they’re the “bridge” forever linking their parent “islands.” Appealing paint-and-collage illustrations include photo cutouts, torn paper, and lace. Photos of the blond, light-skinned sisters personalize them; other characters are light-skinned as well. The predominance of blues supports the maritime location; making effective use of perspective, several scenes heighten the idea of separation. Muted colors connote seriousness, though emotions run the gamut. Specific references to places make this a lovely ode to La Grave, but—without a pronunciation guide or context—the French names may confound readers unfamiliar with the setting. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Reassuring and with some nice characterizations but coolly distancing overall. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-77306-824-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Groundwood
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2022
The dynamic interaction between the characters invites readers to take risks, push boundaries, and have a little unscripted...
Reinvention is the name of the game for two blobs of clay.
A blue-eyed gray blob and a brown-eyed brown blob sit side by side, unsure as to what’s going to happen next. The gray anticipates an adventure, while the brown appears apprehensive. A pair of hands descends, and soon, amid a flurry of squishing and prodding and poking and sculpting, a handsome gray wolf and a stately brown owl emerge. The hands disappear, leaving the friends to their own devices. The owl is pleased, but the wolf convinces it that the best is yet to come. An ear pulled here and an extra eye placed there, and before you can shake a carving stick, a spurt of frenetic self-exploration—expressed as a tangled black scribble—reveals a succession of smug hybrid beasts. After all, the opportunity to become a “pig-e-phant” doesn’t come around every day. But the sound of approaching footsteps panics the pair of Picassos. How are they going to “fix [them]selves” on time? Soon a hippopotamus and peacock are staring bug-eyed at a returning pair of astonished hands. The creative naiveté of the “clay mates” is perfectly captured by Petty’s feisty, spot-on dialogue: “This was your idea…and it was a BAD one.” Eldridge’s endearing sculpted images are photographed against the stark white background of an artist’s work table to great effect.
The dynamic interaction between the characters invites readers to take risks, push boundaries, and have a little unscripted fun of their own . (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: June 20, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-316-30311-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2017
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
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