Young Tallulah knows she can be “a great ballerina—if only she had a tutu.” She works hard in ballet class, which her mother tells her is also necessary, but her teacher rewards her with hugs—not a tutu. Tallulah decides that the tutu must be coming from Paris but is stuck in traffic in New Jersey. Several classes later the tutu still has not arrived, so Tallulah throws a tutu temper tantrum and quits. She does keep dancing in the street, in the park and in the supermarket. There, an encounter with a tutu-clad young girl who cannot dance turns the tables and Tallulah sees the light. She will take class and, in time, earn her tutu. The setting is an upscale New York City neighborhood artfully depicted in the watercolor illustrations. Tallulah’s little brother, who loves to dance, and an adorable dog provide some comic relief. The glittery pink cover and endpaper spreads of the five ballet positions are appealing, and Singer weaves the language of ballet throughout her story. Unfortunately, the behavioral issues are too easily resolved, leaving readers to believe that earning a tutu really doesn't take all that much more application than Tallulah has already shown. An additional purchase. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: March 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-17353-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2011
The book’s simplicity guarantees achievement for beginning readers.
Two kids, probably siblings, explore their surrounding world through magnification.
While the older one remains inside with a microscope, the younger prefers the outside, examining all with a large hand-held magnifying glass. “I see,” the kid declares, focusing on several insects and animals while peering through the glass. A large, blue-black ant grins up through the glass as the child states, “I see an ant.” A butterfly, a snail, and robins’ eggs similarly appear through the glass, all narrated in the short, patterned text. Arriving home with discoveries crawling and flapping behind, the explorer now declares, “We see,” to the older child. The minimalist text is perfect for emerging readers, allowing children the ability to successfully read a whole book. Each repetitive sentence with its additional new word is coupled with recognizable picture cues to help in decoding. Cepeda’s characteristically energetic artwork offers sharp-edged, jagged lines that give it a scratch-art look. The siblings are dressed nearly identically, in blue shorts and red polo shirts, and they have tousled brown hair, beige skin, and big smiles.
The book’s simplicity guarantees achievement for beginning readers. (Picture book/early reader. 4-6)Pub Date: Nov. 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4504-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2019
A superb example of text and image telling opposing stories—and of the humor that can be found in the intersection.
A canvas depicting an assemblage of items on a tablecloth comes to life, upending traditional assumptions surrounding artistic conventions.
The book’s narrator—an earnest, light-skinned artist with curly, salt-and-pepper hair—announces, “This is a still life. A painting of objects sitting still. In a still life, nothing moves.” A close-up reveals succulent fruit, a quill pen and an inkwell, and a castlelike dollhouse. In contrast to the painter and other characters, rendered as bright, flat caricatures, the painting is portrayed with a range of colors, subtle shading, soft texture, and a wealth of detail. As the artist continues with inspired musings about stillness, two mice appear and run inside the painting. The narrator urges readers to ignore the “jammy footprints” emerging from an open jar within the painting. Next, a dragon steps forth; the painter stresses that such creatures don’t belong “in this sort of painting.” Then a valiant knight arrives to slay the dragon, and a tan-skinned princess appears on the dollhouse’s throne. Zelinsky’s hilarious, action-packed scenes—a combination of hand drawing and digital work—contrast with the narrator’s serious admonitions not to acknowledge the dragon’s desperate plea for help, nor to pay any attention as the princess uses a spool of thread to zip-line down to join the ensuing chaos. Readers will be left with plenty to laugh—and learn—about as the artist exits.
A superb example of text and image telling opposing stories—and of the humor that can be found in the intersection. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9780063229556
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
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.
