The ballerina-in-training sparkles in her return engagement when she learns to be a good big sister and to share the spotlight.
Tallulah, of Tallulah’s Tutu (2011), is certain that she will star in her school’s winter recital of the Frog Prince and shows little patience with younger brother, Beckett, who has joined her in ballet studies. Her head swells with visions of flowers for her outstanding performance as the princess. Meanwhile, Beckett pays little attention and even spends a stint in the time-out chair. Surprise! Beckett’s jumping skills land him the role of the Frog before princedom, and Tallulah is, alas, only a lady-in-waiting. The moment of reckoning arrives when their mother asks Tallulah to help her crying and nervous little brother. That she does, commendably. The result is a wonderful performance that is instrumental in landing each of them starring roles in the spring production of Hansel and Gretel. Veteran Singer approaches both issues—ego and sibling bonding—with a sure hand. Boiger once again uses watercolors in balletic shades of lilac, blue and green to great effect and creates a welcoming studio and stage setting. A lovely story that gently and effectively presents common childhood difficulties wrapped in a world of tutus and sparkles. (Picture book. 3-7)
Pub Date: May 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-547-33004-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 14, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2012
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series.
Another creature is on the loose.
The long-running series continues its successful formula with this Hallmark card of a book, which features bright illustrations and catchy rhymes. This time, the mythical creature the racially diverse children set out to catch is an absent mom who does it all (lists of descriptors include the words banker, caregiver, nurse, doctor, driver, chef, housekeeper, teacher, entertainer, playmate, laundry service, problem solver, handywoman, cleaner, and alarm clock) but doesn’t seem to have a job outside the home and is inexplicably a dinosaur. As the children prepare gifts and a meal for her, the text becomes an ode to the skills the Mamasaurus possesses (“Day or night she’s always there. / She meets every wish and need”) and values she instills (“Sometimes life can mean hard work,” “kindness matters,” and “what counts is doing your best”). This well-intentioned selection veers into cliche generously sprinkled with saccharine but manages to redeem itself with its appreciation for mothers and all that they may do. Endpapers include a “to” and “from” page framed in a heart, as well as a page where young gift givers or recipients can draw a picture of their Mamasaurus.
A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781728274300
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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