A warmhearted story that helps kids appreciate cultural complexities and values.
Visiting relatives in the Marshall Islands, an American boy must decide whether to save an endangered animal.
David is excited about visiting his mother’s family in the Marshall Islands, a freely associated state of the United States, for his great-grandfather’s birthday. He can’t wait to meet his cousin Betra and hopes to glimpse a sea turtle. Much surprises David about the islands; there are no jungles, for example, and no hula dancers. The islanders’ clothes are simple, sometimes ragged; Betra’s family lives in a tiny house with walls of woven palm mats. David’s relatives teach him new skills, like fishing and climbing a palm tree for coconuts. He helps catch a sea turtle but is horrified to learn it’s intended for Grandfather’s birthday feast, protesting, “These animals are endangered. If we kill them to eat, they will all be gone soon!” The night before the feast, David has a difficult choice to make: make his family angry or free the turtle. In his debut children’s book, Hubbs provides a well-balanced story that considers cultural differences and similarities. David realizes that “the poorest people that he knew in America were rich compared to his cousins,” but he also appreciates their wealth of knowledge about island life. Wisely, Hubbs doesn’t present the Marshall Islanders as a monolith; David’s cousin and uncle see turtle meat as “a very important part of our culture” and “a great way to honor Grandfather”—but in Grandfather’s own view, “Times have changed and we must change also.” The lively illustrations by Lydia and Isaia of Worlds Beyond Art, who previously contributed to the Hawaii-set Puanani and the Volcano (2020), show medium- to dark-brown–skinned characters and capture the turtle’s beauty well.
A warmhearted story that helps kids appreciate cultural complexities and values. (reading comprehension questions, glossary)Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 978-1-949711-37-0
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Bluewater Publications
Review Posted Online: Nov. 9, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
Disconcerting and possibly deadly dealings are afoot; certain to charm younger fans of the macabre.
In the latest installment of the delightfully disturbing chapter-book series, the mundane once more takes on supernatural qualities, this time in the form of veggies.
With this follow-up to Troubling Tonsils! (2025), our host, Jasper Rabbit, once more channels Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling. As Jasper narrates, we meet our heroes: fourth graders Thaddeus Badger and Oliver Possum, who love nothing more than eating junk food, particularly the hamburgers at Hurt-A-Burger (a mildly brilliant corporate name on the author’s part). When Oliver’s parents trick the two into a dinner of salads at their favorite fast-food joint, Thaddeus feels betrayed, but Oliver experiences something a little more dire. Soon after, Oliver starts acting strangely, and his parents begin behaving even more oddly. What’s going on? And does it have anything to do with the full moon? Tone is the true star of the show in this series; the mystery unspools thanks to the buildup of unnerving moments. Reynolds combines suspense with a keen ability to artistically frame both sunny innocent sequences and those rich with dark foreboding. Notably, this is no morality tale about eating your vegetables—this tale is fully on the side of its child readers. Brown’s black-and-white images, punctuated with eerie pops of green, heighten both horrifying and comedic moments.
Disconcerting and possibly deadly dealings are afoot; certain to charm younger fans of the macabre. (Chapter book. 6-9)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
ISBN: 9781665961110
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2025
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