A heartwarming tale about the confidence that comes from staying true to yourself.
Garda’s picture book explores childhood identity through a pair of blue shoes.
When Mia’s friends notice that her favorite blue shoes clash with their pink ones, she’s quickly left out of a game of Pink Princesses. And although Mia is disappointed, she isn’t ready to trade her beloved shoes, or herself, for a place in the jungle gym, which they pretend is a castle. Her friend Kate is the strictest when it comes to the rules. She insists that there’s “no such thing as a Blue Princess,” suggesting that Mia should be a monster if she wants to join in. Mia instead plays by herself, sad to miss the fun, but determined to be herself. Thankfully, Mia’s grandmother steps in with reassurance and a pack of sparkly stickers, which Mia uses to transform her blue shoes into something dazzling. Soon, the friends who excluded her are captivated. Rosie invites Mia back to play with them, crowning her the “Queen of Sparkles.” Instead of holding a grudge, Mia shares her stickers with everyone so they can play together. Garda, whose background is in the beauty industry, delivers a clear and heartfelt message about belonging and being yourself. The story is an excellent tool for showing young readers the importance of doing your own thing, even when it doesn’t match others’ expectations. After all, as the book’s message goes, fitting in through conformity never feels as good as being accepted for who you’ve been all along.
A heartwarming tale about the confidence that comes from staying true to yourself.Pub Date: Dec. 18, 2024
ISBN: 9798992034103
Page Count: 24
Publisher: The Happy Blonde
Review Posted Online: March 18, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn.
A young owl achieves his grand ambition.
Owl, an adorably earnest and gallant little owlet, dreams of being a knight. He imagines himself defeating dragons and winning favor far and wide through his brave exploits. When a record number of knights go missing, Owl applies to Knight School and is surprisingly accepted. He is much smaller than the other knights-in-training, struggles to wield weapons, and has “a habit of nodding off during the day.” Nevertheless, he graduates and is assigned to the Knight Night Watch. While patrolling the castle walls one night, a hungry dragon shows up and Owl must use his wits to avoid meeting a terrible end. The result is both humorous and heartwarming, offering an affirmation of courage and clear thinking no matter one’s size…and demonstrating the power of a midnight snack. The story never directly addresses the question of the missing knights, but it is hinted that they became the dragon’s fodder, leaving readers to question Owl’s decision to befriend the beast. Humor is supplied by the characters’ facial expressions and accented by the fact that Owl is the only animal in his order of big, burly human knights. Denise’s accomplished digital illustrations—many of which are full bleeds—often use a warm sepia palette that evokes a feeling of antiquity, and some spreads feature a pleasing play of chiaroscuro that creates suspense and drama.
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-316-31062-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2022
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions.
Ellis, known for her illustrations for Colin Meloy’s Wildwood series, here riffs on the concept of “home.”
Shifting among homes mundane and speculative, contemporary and not, Ellis begins and ends with views of her own home and a peek into her studio. She highlights palaces and mansions, but she also takes readers to animal homes and a certain famously folkloric shoe (whose iconic Old Woman manages a passel of multiethnic kids absorbed in daring games). One spread showcases “some folks” who “live on the road”; a band unloads its tour bus in front of a theater marquee. Ellis’ compelling ink and gouache paintings, in a palette of blue-grays, sepia and brick red, depict scenes ranging from mythical, underwater Atlantis to a distant moonscape. Another spread, depicting a garden and large building under connected, transparent domes, invites readers to wonder: “Who in the world lives here? / And why?” (Earth is seen as a distant blue marble.) Some of Ellis’ chosen depictions, oddly juxtaposed and stripped of any historical or cultural context due to the stylized design and spare text, become stereotypical. “Some homes are boats. / Some homes are wigwams.” A sailing ship’s crew seems poised to land near a trio of men clad in breechcloths—otherwise unidentified and unremarked upon.
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6529-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2014
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