Freckled, red-haired Emmy loves trees—her grandmother’s impressive mimosa in particular. She treasures its low branches, its fuzzy pink flowers and its rattling seedpods. Mai-Wyss’s vibrant watercolor-and-collage illustrations show Emmy swinging, dancing, dreaming and playing beneath the mimosa while lyrical text describes her admiration with playful humor. “That ol’ tree is a lot like you. Stubborn and strong and a little bit wild,” Gramma says. For her birthday, Emmy asks for a mimosa of her own, but the stores don’t sell wild trees, and she has to find another way to make one her own. The baby mimosa she discovers doesn’t have low branches, pink flowers and seedpods—at least not yet. What is a tree-loving tomboy to do? A spunky and independent heroine, a satisfying story and a gentle environmental message combine nicely here in an arboreal celebration that will delight many a young reader. A fine introduction to the pleasures of trees, well suited for group and home reading. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: March 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-56145-475-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2009
Lively, funny, and child-friendly.
A young girl is upset when her mother defers her promises.
When Ranya asks her mother if they can go to the park, Mama replies, “Insha’Allah.” Ranya fumes—that’s what her parents always say when they mean no! Mama explains that the sky’s looking overcast and adds that “insha’Allah“ means “God willing.” People say it when they hope for something that they aren’t sure will happen: “Sometimes Allah has other plans.” Ranya pries a little more: Is that why they didn’t bake cookies last night? And why her sleepover with her friend Jayda fell through? And why her parents have never taken her to Disneyland? Mama replies that it was getting too late to bake and that Jayda’s grandmother became sick, but she promises to take Ranya to Disneyland before she turns 18…insha’Allah. Ranya negotiates with her mother, who agrees that they can bake cookies later and Ranya can plan another sleepover. Mama notices the weather has improved and says they can go to the park. But first, she asks Ranya to clean up her toys. Ranya impishly replies, “Insha’Allah!” This is a sweet introduction to an expression often used in Muslim and Arabic-speaking communities. The playful banter between mother and daughter forms the heart of the story. Ranya and Mama are illustrated with warm brown skin tones; theirs is a diverse neighborhood. Homey illustrations in bold primary colors create a sense of coziness.
Lively, funny, and child-friendly. (authors’ note) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: May 14, 2024
ISBN: 9780823454419
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Oscar (last name: Myers) is a sweet, sensitive dachshund who is troubled by his unique appearance (``half-a-dog tall and one- and-a-half dogs long''). He looks like a hot dog and his friends never let him forget it, until Oscar's unusual physique saves the day. Raising this story above clichÇ and bringing it poignancy is Oscar's goodness, which shines almost perpetually. When his mother makes a Halloween costume in the shape of a frankfurter, he bravely wears it even though he knows it means ridicule. He doesn't give up on his friends; in fact, this nice guy finishes first. In paintings steeped in autumn colors, puns abound and so do loony visual jokes, but the telling is simple, comical, and fast. Pilkey (Kat Kong, 1993, etc.) demonstrates his kinship to both Rosemary Wells and James Marshall with a book that has moments of high comedy, lowbrow humor, and good old-fashioned heroics. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1995
ISBN: 0-590-41703-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Blue Sky/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1995
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