A warmhearted, hopeful book that falters on its science.
In Nelson’s (Chrysalis, 2015, etc.) illustrated blend of fact and fable for all ages, children around the world join in meditation and other practices to rescue the Earth from global warming.
Our planet is a living being named Gaia, asserts this book, which embodies magic and can change her shape and size into whatever she likes. Her soul mate is the “great and noble stag Ananda,” another magical being who circles the globe to keep light and dark in balance. But despite their powers, Gaia is currently dying, thanks to climate change—a phenomenon that’s hard to fight due to the political influence of the greedy rich, who include twin brothers Cain and Brutus. They want to drill in the North Pole for the element “technetium,” which magical creatures know as “Mortium, the death element.” Some adults work to defend Gaia, but her “best hope was in the young-ones.” The book then describes some real-life efforts by young people (such as those in the activist group Earth Guardians) to help the Earth and suggests further activities for young readers before turning to the story of five “innocent and kind and good” cousins: Liam, Leora, Arthur, Joey, and Maya. They work together to heal Gaia through such means as imagination, healing intentions, art, and telepathy, which bring in more helpers and eventually spark a Great Healing. By straightforwardly declaring the reality of magic, telepathic powers, and healing thoughts, this book may disappoint readers expecting an approach to combating climate change that’s more grounded in scientific thinking. For example, Nelson explains that cells “somehow communicate with each other” through exchanging “electrical information,” which is true of neurons, but most other types of cells communicate through chemical signals. The book also says that this communication works on an “ever-expanding scale,” such that “Gaia” and possibly the galaxies communicate with humans, but the real difference between cellular communication and human speech is more than one of scale. Also, the story gives up on change through political action as an effective weapon; an important climate accord is reached only through the catalyst of pure-heartedness. Still, Nelson taps into a powerful modern fantasy of saving the Earth, and her hallucinatory, colorful illustrations help tell the story.
A warmhearted, hopeful book that falters on its science.Pub Date: Dec. 12, 2015
ISBN: 9781628800913
Page Count: 108
Publisher: Ideas into Books WESTVIEW
Review Posted Online: Aug. 12, 2016
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
With comically realistic black-and-white illustrations by Selznick (The Robot King, 1995, etc.), this is a captivating...
Nicholas is a bright boy who likes to make trouble at school, creatively.
When he decides to torment his fifth-grade English teacher, Mrs. Granger (who is just as smart as he is), by getting everyone in the class to replace the word "pen'' with "frindle,'' he unleashes a series of events that rapidly spins out of control. If there's any justice in the world, Clements (Temple Cat, 1995, etc.) may have something of a classic on his hands. By turns amusing and adroit, this first novel is also utterly satisfying. The chess-like sparring between the gifted Nicholas and his crafty teacher is enthralling, while Mrs. Granger is that rarest of the breed: a teacher the children fear and complain about for the school year, and love and respect forever after.
With comically realistic black-and-white illustrations by Selznick (The Robot King, 1995, etc.), this is a captivating tale—one to press upon children, and one they'll be passing among themselves. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-689-80669-8
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1996
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