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
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
Simple, bella, un regalo permenente: simple and beautiful, a gift that will stay.
Renowned Latin American writer Alvarez has created another story about cultural identity, but this time the primary character is 11-year-old Miguel Guzmán.
When Tía Lola arrives to help the family, Miguel and his hermana, Juanita, have just moved from New York City to Vermont with their recently divorced mother. The last thing Miguel wants, as he's trying to fit into a predominantly white community, is a flamboyant aunt who doesn't speak a word of English. Tía Lola, however, knows a language that defies words; she quickly charms and befriends all the neighbors. She can also cook exotic food, dance (anywhere, anytime), plan fun parties, and tell enchanting stories. Eventually, Tía Lola and the children swap English and Spanish ejercicios, but the true lesson is "mutual understanding." Peppered with Spanish words and phrases, Alvarez makes the reader as much a part of the "language" lessons as the characters. This story seamlessly weaves two culturaswhile letting each remain intact, just as Miguel is learning to do with his own life. Like all good stories, this one incorporates a lesson just subtle enough that readers will forget they're being taught, but in the end will understand themselves, and others, a little better, regardless of la lengua nativa—the mother tongue.
Simple, bella, un regalo permenente: simple and beautiful, a gift that will stay. (Fiction. 9-11)Pub Date: March 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-375-80215-0
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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