Kids are sure to ask questions about the plot holes, but others will enjoy the happy ending.
Foster boy Spike, meanly called a mutt by his peers, heads to D.C. in this story of finding and belonging by Levin (Little Cheese: The Brie that Brought Sunshine to Chicago, 2013, etc.), with occasional illustrations from Mitevska (Too Many Shoes for Tenlei, 2017, etc.).
With text density appropriate to a chapter book, Levin introduces Spike, a pale boy with orange hair and freckles. Everyone calls Spike a mutt, which nice foster mom Mrs. Hope suggests is because “you look like you have a little bit of everyone in you.” Spike still thinks it’s an insult—until the new president says he wants a family dog who is a mutt, just like him. Spike takes a bus to Washington, D.C., to apply for the position of first dog, and though he gets a happy ending (he becomes a member of the first family), his aspirations never climb higher than being a pet. The tale touches on homelessness and problems of the foster care system, but the cheeky star never gives them much thought. Mitevska’s design for Spike doesn’t reflect his mixed heritage, but the contrast between him and the African-American first family shows the appeal of crossing bridges to make a family, and Levin depicts Spike’s brave adventure in an approachable vocabulary for strong independent readers.
Kids are sure to ask questions about the plot holes, but others will enjoy the happy ending.Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-979967-16-7
Page Count: 26
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A nice but not requisite purchase.
A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.
Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.
A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Playful, engaging, and full of opportunities for empathy—a raucous storytime hit.
Readers try to dislodge a monster from the pages of this emotive and interactive read-aloud.
“OH NO!” the story starts. “There’s a monster in your book!” The blue, round-headed monster with pink horns and a pink-tipped tail can be seen cheerfully munching on the opening page. “Let’s try to get him out,” declares the narrator. Readers are encouraged to shake, tilt, and spin the book around, while the monster careens around an empty background looking scared and lost. Viewers are exhorted to tickle the monster’s feet, blow on the page, and make a really loud noise. Finally, shockingly, it works: “Now he’s in your room!” But clearly a monster in your book is safer than a monster in your room, so he’s coaxed back into the illustrations and lulled to sleep, curled up under one page and cuddling a bit of another like a child with their blankie. The monster’s entirely cute appearance and clear emotional reactions to his treatment add to the interactive aspect, and some young readers might even resist the instructions to avoid hurting their new pal. Children will be brought along on the monster’s journey, going from excited, noisy, and wiggly to calm and steady (one can hope).
Playful, engaging, and full of opportunities for empathy—a raucous storytime hit. (Picture book. 2-7)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5247-6456-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: June 4, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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